Murder victim found in trunk reportedly stabbed at least 16 times

Ashlock
Ashlock

A Montgomery County man whose body was found in the trunk of a car April 30 following a pursuit of the car's driver by a Garland County sheriff's deputy was reportedly stabbed at least 16 times, according to documents filed this week in Garland County Circuit Court.

The driver, later identified as Keith Edward Ashlock, 58, who lists a Pine Ridge address in Montgomery County, was initially charged following his arrest April 30 with felony and misdemeanor charges of first-degree criminal mischief and misdemeanor charges of fleeing in a vehicle, fleeing on foot and obstructing government operations, all stemming from the pursuit and damages caused before he was taken into custody.

On May 15, after an investigation into the death of Jimmy Fryar, 65, whose body was found in the car, Ashlock was charged with first-degree murder, punishable by up to life in prison. He remained in custody Thursday in lieu of $200,000 bond and is set to be arraigned on all the charges Monday in circuit court.

An order limiting pretrial publicity in the case was issued Tuesday by Judge John Homer Wright.

According to the probable cause affidavit on the murder charge, on April 30, shortly after 3:30 a.m., Deputy Aaron Bowerman got behind a Cadillac with an Oaklawn vanity plate in place of an authorized license plate and activated his lights to make a traffic stop.

The vehicle made a quick left turn into Hamilton Pointe Condos, 5000 Central Ave., crashing through the metal gate at the entrance. The vehicle continued through the condominium area until coming to a stop on the front lawn at the dead end of the street.

Bowerman discovered the driver had fled and left the car with the engine running, so he contacted Hot Springs police to bring a K-9 to the scene to help locate him. The dog alerted on a pillar at the front of a row of condos so it was suspected the driver climbed onto the roof.

A short time later, the driver was located on the upstairs deck of one of the condos where he was hiding behind a chimney. He initially refused to come down so deputies called first responders to bring them a ladder and were finally able to get him off the roof after about two hours.

Damage to the security gate and a skylight on the roof of the condo were estimated at about $11,000.

Meanwhile, Sheriff's Sgt. Jeremy Simpson began an inventory of the vehicle prior to having it towed. As he opened the trunk, which was held closed only by a bungee cord tied to the bumper, he saw what appeared to be the body of a white male under a tarp.

He called for investigators, who secured the vehicle and loaded it onto a wrecker to be taken to the sheriff's department where a search warrant was later obtained. The body was removed and the victim had "what appeared to be a puncture wound to the back of the neck at the base of the skull."

The affidavit notes there was a large amount of blood on the body and in the trunk area of the car. Garland County Coroner Stuart Smedley removed the victim's wallet and found an ID card with the name Jimmy Fryar and a photo that matched the victim.

At the detention center, the driver initially gave investigators a false name, but eventually admitted his name was Keith Ashlock and provided other identifying information. At that point, he asked for an attorney, so no further questions were asked.

Sheriff's Sgt. Terry Threadgill contacted Fryar's daughter by phone later that same day and she stated she had not seen her father in about two weeks, but believed he was staying with "a buddy of his" in the Pine Ridge area. She only knew the friend as "Peak or some similar name." A check of Ashlock's criminal history showed he had numerous aliases including one listed as "Keat" or "Keit."

Sheriff's Investigator Charlie Mowery went to the state crime lab in Little Rock to observe the autopsy of Fryar on May 2 and noted that preliminary findings indicated there were "a minimum of 16 stab wounds to the upper back and neck."

The medical examiner also determined the victim had blunt force trauma to his head and was possibly unconscious during the stabbing. The stab wounds were believed to have occurred while the victim was still alive. The victim also had multiple broken ribs and was believed to have died within minutes of the accumulated injuries.

The autopsy was performed around 8 a.m. and the time of death was estimated as 48 hours "plus change" earlier.

Deputy Austin Thompson provided a statement that Ashlock told him he had stabbed the victim during an argument at Ashlock's residence after Fryar refused to leave. Ashlock also allegedly stated he put Fryar's body in the trunk and "just drove around" until he was pulled over and "panicked trying to evade" law enforcement.

An April 30 post on the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department's Facebook stated Sheriff David White was contacted by Garland County sheriff's investigators about the body found and went to Ashlock's residence where he found evidence of a crime scene. The post states foul play was suspected in the death of the victim and state police worked the crime scene.

According to court records, Ashlock pleaded guilty May 12, 2014, in Pulaski County to felony charges of residential burglary and theft of property and was sentenced to five years in prison and was on parole. He had also pleaded guilty on July 6, 2010, in Garland County to a felony charge of first-degree criminal mischief and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Local on 06/28/2019

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