A Texas man has been taken into custody following allegations that he murdered his wife in their home last week, authorities report.
Chelsea Spillers, aged 33, was discovered dead in her Alvarado, Texas residence on Saturday, October 18. The incident is being treated as an “unexplained death” by the Alvarado Police Department.
Police officers were conducting a welfare check at the home of Spillers, a high school biology teacher, when they found her body, as reported by FOX 4 News.
According to investigators, they now believe that her husband, Brandon Ashley, is the main suspect in her death. Preliminary findings and a coroner’s report indicate that her death was due to blunt force trauma, the news outlet stated.
On Monday, the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office released a statement revealing that they had received reports of a shirtless man trespassing at a property in Bedias, approximately 150 miles from Alvarado, the day before.
On Monday, authorities received reports of a shirtless man trespassing at a residence in Bedias – located about 150 miles south of Alvarado – the previous day, the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The individual, who was later identified as Ashley, was reportedly believed to be experiencing a mental health episode while walking on private property Sunday morning, according to police. He was also spotted knocking on neighbors’ doors to ask for a shirt, while allegedly making comments about avoiding a nearby highway because there were “too many cops,” the department said.
Brandon Ashley faces a murder charge for the death of his wife, Chelsea Spillers, according to police. (Grimes County Sheriff’s Office)
Ashley was taken into custody Monday morning after he told officers he had stashed a pistol near a local convenience store around where he was arrested, according to police. Authorities later recovered an Astra .357-caliber pistol near the store.
Following his arrest, deputies learned that Ashley was wanted for Spillers’ alleged murder in Johnson County.
“The police department would like to remind the public that an arrest is not a conviction, and the suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law,” Alvarado police said in an update, according to FOX 4. “The investigation remains ongoing as the case is prepared for presentation to the District Attorney’s office.”
Brandon Ashley was booked into the Grimes County Jail as he awaits extradition to Johnson County, where he faces an alleged murder charge for the death of his wife, Chelsea Spillers, according to police. (Google Maps)
Ashley was booked into the Grimes County Jail as he awaits extradition to Johnson County, where he faces a murder charge, police said.
Spillers worked as a biology and chemistry high school teacher and was beloved by her students, FOX 4 reported.
“We were saddened to hear of the tragic passing of a beloved Alvarado High School educator, Chelsea Spillers, on Saturday,” the school district said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “She was a dedicated educator who loved her scholars and Alvarado ISD team. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and our entire Alvarado ISD family.”
The Grimes County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
