Angie Lee was an unwed mother of a 4-year-old son and was found savagely beaten and asphyxiated in her dwelling in East Gillespie, Illinois.
The inquiry into her killing caused turmoil within the neighborhood, but her partner, Jason, was absolved of suspicion.
Eventually, attention shifted to an unidentified male DNA sample found at the crime scene, which led investigators to Anthony A. Ashby, whose DNA was a match.
In 2008, Ashby was condemned for premeditated murder and given a 33-year custodial sentence.
The Fact
Angela was an aspiring young woman whose life was tragically cut short at the tender age of 17 when she gave birth to her son. Rumors circulated that Angela couldn’t continue her education due to her circumstances.
However, those close to her affirmed that this ambitious girl had aspirations of a bright future and often expressed her desire to pursue higher education.
Additionally, she had a caring nature towards those around her- someone people always felt secure having conversations with, which made the tragedy of her demise even more difficult for the community.
Tragedy struck one summer day in 2003 when Angela and her son were left alone at home as their father was delayed in returning from work. The details surrounding this heartbreaking incident still remain a mystery.
When Jason arrived home around 9 pm, he was met with a tragic and horrific scene – his wife, Angela, lay motionless on the floor of their dining room, a pool of blood surrounding her.
He heard the sound of a TV coming from one of the bedrooms and, upon exploring further, discovered that his son was unharmed but still watching TV alone.
First responders arrived at the scene and sadly announced that Angela had passed away.
A medical examination soon revealed that Angela had sustained severe head and neck injuries along with signs of forced entry into the house, but nothing seemed to have been taken.
An autopsy ultimately confirmed she had been strangled and beaten to death.
Who murdered Angela?
The investigation into Angela’s homicide was intricate and challenging for the detectives due to the paucity of leads or eyewitnesses.
They conducted a thorough investigation of the area, diligently examined the murder scene, and spoke with a number of her acquaintances and neighbors.
However, despite their best efforts, they were unable to make any significant headway in the case.
Initially, the investigators suspected Jason, Angela’s boyfriend, of being involved in the murder, as he conveniently happened to be out of town at the time of the crime.
However, after further investigation, they exonerated him of any wrongdoing. The focus then shifted to Brad, Angela’s ex-boyfriend, as law enforcement had reason to believe that he had committed unlawful acts before this.
When questioned about the murder, Brad denied any involvement, and a polygraph test corroborated his claim of innocence. Unfortunately, there were no other leads, and the case remained unresolved for nearly four years.
However, the investigation took a significant turn when the DNA of an unidentified male was found inside Angela’s home.
This discovery prompted the formation of a task force that focused on identifying the perpetrator. The team commenced by making a list of every employee working when Angela was murdered after considering the location of the string in the Cavallo Bus Lines parking lot.
Employee Rick Fenley provided a crucial lead when he alleged to have seen technician Anthony Ashby punch out late at night and drive off in his car.
This information intrigued the investigators, as mechanics would not usually be in the Cavallo parking lot at such an ungodly hour.
They looked into Anthony’s background and found that he had previously been arrested for gun violence. When they confiscated his gun, its grips matched those they had discovered in the ditch next to Angela’s home.
Angela’s DNA was found on the weapon, and genetic evidence also linked Anthony to the crime scene. Based on this evidence, the police arrested and charged Anthony Ashby with the 22-year-old murder.
The resolution of this case underscores the pivotal role that forensic evidence and expert investigative techniques play in resolving convoluted crimes.
