It is a heart-wrenching tragedy that took place in North Carolina. Twenty-six-year-old Ashton Brown, a concerned mother, urgently sought help from the local sheriff’s office. She feared for her life and the lives of her two children, four-year-old Bella and eight-month-old Brixtyn. Ashton’s boyfriend, twenty-six-year-old Aschod Ewing-Meeks, was the source of her fear. Unfortunately, the sheriff’s office failed to provide the protection and assistance she desperately needed. Consequently, Ewing-Meeks proceeded to take the lives of his entire family, set their home ablaze, and ultimately ended his own life in what appears to be a horrific murder-suicide.
Tragically, it appears that Ewing-Meeks was responsible for the killings of his girlfriend and their two children before setting their home in Davie County on fire. His life came to an end through a self-inflicted gunshot, leaving behind the devastating aftermath of the murder-suicide.
Surveillance video captured Ashton Brown and her boyfriend at the sheriff’s office a mere two hours before the unspeakable tragedy. Though the family did not explicitly state their reasons for seeking help, they sought an opportunity to speak to a deputy for assistance. Despite their attempts to communicate with someone at the sheriff’s office, their pleas went unanswered. Less than two hours after leaving, Ewing-Meeks carried out the horrific act of murdering his girlfriend, their two children, and himself, before setting their home ablaze.
On April 18, 2022, the distressed family arrived at the sheriff’s office around 12:10 pm. Sadly, they did not find the help they so urgently needed. The receptionist provided the family with a phone number, and they departed from the office only five minutes later.
Davie County Sheriff JD Hartman, in a press conference, shared that there was nothing unusual during their visit to the sheriff’s office. He explained, “They really wouldn’t interact with the receptionist or tell her what they wanted.” Sheriff Hartman also expressed the deep impact of this tragedy, stating that it was “one of the worst, if not the worst” cases he had witnessed throughout his career in law enforcement.
At 12:35 pm, Ashton Brown dialed 911, desperately pleading to speak with a sheriff’s deputy. She expressed her fear for her family’s safety, but did not provide explicit details. Eleven minutes later, a deputy returned her call, and she handed the phone over to Ewing-Meeks. The call abruptly ended thirty seconds later – it remains unclear whether someone hung up or if the connection was lost.
Authorities made multiple attempts to contact the family over the next thirty minutes, engaging in several brief conversations.
“(Ewing-Meeks) advised with the officer that he thought that someone was following him, but he wasn’t in danger. They weren’t threatening him,” revealed Sheriff Hartman. “The officer attempted to get them to come back to the sheriff’s office. They were driving around; they wouldn’t tell the officer where they were.”
Later that day, authorities arrived at the family’s burning home, only to discover all four family members deceased from gunshot wounds.
“All four victims are deceased from gunshot wounds,” shared Sheriff Hartman during a press conference. “The fire was intentionally set. Mr. Meeks was deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and we found the gun that matches all of this actually still in Mr. Meeks’ hand.”
This devastating incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of proactive intervention and support. Our hearts go out to Ashton Brown, Bella, Brixtyn, and their loved ones as they navigate through this unimaginable tragedy.
