MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – According to the Roseville Police Department, the ex-boyfriend of Ashley Elkins, the missing mother of two, has been arrested.
The arrest occurred on Wednesday (Jan. 8) evening, when a family spokesperson said substantial evidence suggested that she was killed.
Officials believed that there was a strong possibility that foul play may have taken place in Elkins’s disappearance, and Elkins’s uncle Maurice Morton all but confirmed the worst for the family.
The 30-year-old mother was last seen leaving her home in Warren around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.
Morton, who was the spokesperson for the family, gave a statement Wednesday night about the case and where everything stood at this time.
Morton said the family met with Roseville and Warren police departments Wednesday night a little after 7:30 p.m.
He said they also met with Roseville police Chief Mitch Berlin and with multiple deputy chiefs, who gave them an update on what they found during their search on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.
“What they indicated was there was substantial evidence collected at the home of the ex-boyfriend and they also indicated that based upon that evidence that Ashley was murdered. They don’t have her body at this time. They do have good leads where her body is. They also indicated that the boyfriend is in custody on related charges not for murder at this time. A warrant is being prepared, but he will be arraigned in the morning at Roseville District Court at 10 a.m.”
Family spokesperson Maurice Morton
Morton said there was a lot of frustration by the family that things could’ve been done faster on the police side of things, but they knew since Monday that the police had worked hard on Elkins' disappearance.
“As we’ve said before, there’s a lot of frustration by the family that things could have gone faster. But we do know since Monday the police have worked hard. We’re thankful to get to the point of getting some information. It’s not the information that we’d want naturally, but at this point, it’s about justice because there’s a monster out there that took a very beautiful young lady away from us. And if you heard the tears coming from her children tonight it’s just absolutely heartbreaking.”
Family spokesperson Maurice Morton
Elkins had two sons, ages 10 and seven, and with the potential loss of their mother, Morton said raising them would take a village.
“It’s going to take a lot of people here. It’s going to take the love and support of the family. They do have their father. They have grandparents. Everyones going to embrace them and support them. That’s actually starting now. The healing starts now. Grieving is a process and it’s different for everyone. We know ultimately that we’d have to go to a court process to make sure that justice is done. But we know it’s going to be tough. It’s going to take the family coming together and the community supporting us.”
Family spokesperson Maurice Morton
There are a lot of people asking if there were signs involving the ex-boyfriend’s alleged stalking and maybe abuse.
Morton said he nor the family knew about that, but Elkins and the ex-boyfriend had broken up since September.
“Honestly, we don’t know. They had broken up in September, and Ashley didn’t want anything to do with him. I can’t get in the mind of a psychotic person who would do something like this so we really don’t know what motivated him and why he did what he did.”
Family spokesperson Maurice Morton
Morton thanked the community as they’ve been reaching out with nothing but love and support during these trying times.
“We want to thank the community again. We know that the community has reached out to us and have been supportive. We just ask for their love and support but also at this time we ask for privacy as well which is why we wanted to do this now but respect the family’s privacy over these next few days and months as it’ll be really tough.”
Family spokesperson Maurice Morton
Watch the press conference below
Here’s a full timeline of Elkins’s disappearance.
Dec. 31, 2024: Ex-boyfriend books appointment at Elkins' home salon
On Dec. 31, 2024, just days before Ashley disappeared, her ex-boyfriend booked an appointment at her home salon using a different name, according to family members.
“He knocked on the front door, and I guess she saw that it was him,” Ashley’s mother, Monika Elkins said.
He also knocked on the side door of the home as Ashley told everyone in the house to be quiet.
After that, he left.
Jan. 2, 2025: Ashley Elkins disappears
Two days after her ex-boyfriend was knocking on her door, Ashley disappeared.
Family members last saw Ashley leaving her home in Warren at about 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 2.
She was last seen wearing a long black coat with fur around the hood and black leggings.
The family told Local 4 that they received weird texts from Ashley the day she went missing.
Her mother said she arrived at Ashley’s house about 10 minutes after she had left.
Monika Elkins tried to FaceTime her daughter, but she didn’t answer.
She said hours later, a family member got a text from Ashley, who said she was going to a beauty supply store.
After that, her mother said the phone was turned off before being turned back on.
According to Ashley’s phone, her last known location was her ex-boyfriend’s residence in the 20900 block of Pinehurst Street in Roseville.
Jan. 7, 2025: Police recover Ashley’s car
Ashley was last seen driving a grey 2009-10 Chevy Malibu with no plate.
On Tuesday, Jan. 7, authorities found her car a few miles from her ex-boyfriend’s Roseville apartment.
Authorities also searched the ex-boyfriend’s apartment on Tuesday night.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
