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Brandon Ashley (Source: Grimes County Sheriff’s Office)
JOHNSON COUNTY, Texas – A man accused of killing his wife, an Alvarado High School biology and chemistry teacher, on Oct. 19, was arrested in Bedias, Texas, which is about two and a half hours southeast of Alvarado in Grimes County.
Alvarado Teacher Killed
What we know:
Alvarado police said 33-year-old Chelsea Spillers was found dead in her home on Oct. 18 by officers who were conducting a welfare check.
Based on the preliminary evidence and a coroner’s report, investigators now believe her husband, Brandon Ashley, caused her death from blunt force trauma.
He was arrested on Oct. 20 in Grimes County and charged with murder.
Chelsea Spillers, 33 (Source: Alvarado ISD)
Timeline:
Spillers died sometime before 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 in her home in the 200 block of Magnolia Street in Alvarado. Police posted on social media around 9:30 p.m. that they were investigating a suspicious death.Â
In Bedias, the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office received a report on Oct. 19, just after 7 p.m., of a white male trespassing at a home off of FM 1696. The caller reported the male was wearing black shorts and no shirt, and appeared to be experiencing a possible mental health episode. He was also possibly in possession of a pistol.Â
Several residents said the same man had knocked on several doors earlier in the day asking for a shirt. He also reportedly said he was avoiding State Highway 90 because there were “too many cops.” Deputies patrolled the area, but were not able to find him.
The next morning, around 9 a.m., the Grimes County dispatch received a call of a suspicious vehicle on private property near CR 115. The caller said the black Cadillac Escalade was found on pastureland and was possibly stolen.Â
Then, just after 10 a.m., residents reported the suspicious man had been seen at a convenience store in Bedias. Surveillance video was recovered. The man later returned to the convenience store, and it was reported to law enforcement. The man was arrested at 10:12 a.m., the sheriff’s office reports. The man, identified as Brandon Ashley, claimed to have hidden a firearm near the convenience store, but refused to say where.Â
Deputies found the firearm around 10:45 a.m. It is described as an Astra .357 caliber revolver.
After his arrest, deputies learned Ashley was wanted for murder out of Johnson County. The vehicle he was operating was also connected to the warrant.
He was taken to the emergency room for a medical evaluation and treatment. He was then taken to the Grimes County Jail and is awaiting extradition to Johnson County.
What they’re saying:
“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. The investigation remains ongoing as the case is prepared for presentation to the District Attorney’s office,” Alvarado police said in a news update.
Alvarado ISD released a statement on Sunday regarding Spillers’ death.
“We were saddened to hear of the tragic passing of a beloved Alvarado High School educator, Chelsea Spillers, on Saturday. 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,” school officials said in a statement to the Alvarado ISD families.
Alvarado ISD will have counselors available on the campus for Spillers students and fellow teachers.Â
She taught biology and chemistry, according to the district’s website.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office, the Alvarado Police Department and Alvarado ISD.