A jilted teen, Tanner Flores, of Larimer County Colorado, killed his ex-girlfriend, Ashley Doolittle, of Berthoud because she ended their one-year relationship. Both the teen killer and victim were 18-years-old.
The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office received a report from Doolittle’s mother that her daughter was missing after not returning home on June 9. Doolittle’s mother informed police that Ashley just broke up with her boyfriend, Tanner Flores. Also, Doolittle’s concerned mother emphasized that some family members discovered her car abandoned near Lon Hagler Reservoir in Larimer County, and the sheriff’s office immediately launched a search.
Suspect in murder of ex-girlfriend Ashley Doolittle to be tried in Larimer County https://t.co/X4aBTpkkLJ pic.twitter.com/qybhGSOQKN
— The Denver Post (@denverpost) June 15, 2016
Flores’ father reported him missing and also told authorities that his.22 caliber revolver was removed from a locked gun cabinet, the affidavit states.
Tanner Flores admitted he shot ex-girlfriend Ashley Doolittle in the head twice then drove Doolittle’s body over 500 miles across the state, according to the arrest affidavit obtained by Denver7 Investigates .
After killing Ashley, Tanner drove her body five hours away to his grandfather’s house in Collbran, Colorado where he cleaned up Doolittle’s corpse and hid it in the back of his truck, according to a police affidavit .
A neighbor of the teen’s grandfather contacted authorities to report that “she could see a male who she thought to be Tanner Flores outside of the house near the white truck parked in the driveway. … She saw that the male had opened all the doors to the truck and pulled out what looked to be a bundled-up blanket from the back seat of the truck and set it on the ground.”
The witness also reported she thought Doolittle’s arm sticking out of the bundle.
The Berthoud community is left dumbfounded and heartbroken from the death of Ashley Doolittle, who was buried on June 17. Her obituary said she was a 2016 graduate of Berthoud High School, loved horses, and was an accomplished rider and competitor. She was to attend Colorado State University in the fall.
“Ashley had a smile that made everyone feel special,” her obituary read. “She truly reflected God’s love to all she came in contact with and she was an inspiration and role model to each person she encountered. She lived life to the fullest and lit up the world with her enthusiasm for life. Ashley will continue to live in the hearts of everyone that knew her.”
Community mourns slain Berthoud teen Ashley Doolittle’s death https://t.co/uxqkWGLOzg via @DanaRieckRH pic.twitter.com/2RflRseuWX
— Longmont Times-Call (@TimesCall) June 17, 2016
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help Doolittle’s family pay for her funeral expenses. As of Friday afternoon, $16,000 has been donated.
Tanner Flores is due back in court in Mesa County, Colorado, on June 24, facing the charges of first-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping. Flores is being held without bond in Mesa County.
What are your thoughts on the harrowing case of Ashley Doolittle?
[Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images]