A heartbreaking mystery is unfolding in Michigan as the family of a missing mother fears the worst. Ashley Elkins, a 30-year-old mom of two from metro Detroit, disappeared over three weeks ago, and her loved ones believe her ex-boyfriend may have something to do with it.
Ashley was last seen on January 2 when she left home to run errands. Her car was found just a few days later, but there was no sign of her. Then, on January 9, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office charged her ex-boyfriend, 32-year-old Deandre Howard Booker, with lying to investigators. Authorities say Booker “repeatedly lied” to the police in the days following Ashley’s disappearance, but they haven’t provided more details. For now, Booker is being held at the Macomb County Jail with a $250,000 bond.
Investigators have been working tirelessly to piece together what happened. They searched Booker’s apartment complex and even went through a dumpster. For several days, they combed through a six- to seven-acre section of the Pine Tree Acres Landfill, located north of where Ashley disappeared. Sadly, they didn’t find any trace of her there.
Now, the focus of the investigation has shifted to a recovery mission. Police and Ashley’s family believe she may no longer be alive, and they are determined to find her body. Her family is convinced that Booker is responsible for her disappearance.
Her uncle, Maurice Morton, shared the painful words her mother has often repeated: “He threw her out with the trash.” Those words paint a devastating picture of the family’s heartbreak.
On Saturday, around 100 people gathered for a vigil in Ashley’s honor, lighting candles and praying for answers. Her cousin, Taylor Redmond, spoke about the pain the family is feeling. “We want to be able to bury her like a human deserves to be laid to rest,” Taylor said. “It’s just hard for me to come to terms with it, and I know it’s hard for her youngest son to come to terms with it because we are constantly asking ourselves, where is she?”
Ashley leaves behind two young sons, just 10 and 7 years old. Her family has started a GoFundMe campaign to ensure the boys are cared for and supported in the wake of this tragedy.
“Ashley LaShay Elkins had big dreams for herself and her two young sons,” the fundraiser states. “Tragically, those dreams were cut short on January 2, 2025. Now, at just 10 and 7, her boys face not only the loss of their beloved mother, but also uncertainty about their care and their future. We are committed to ensuring they are well cared for and have the support and resources they need to keep dreaming and achieve the future their mother envisioned for them.”
As the community rallies around Ashley’s family, they are holding on to hope that answers will come soon, giving them the closure they so desperately need.