Flagler Detectives Arrest Virginia Fugitive Wanted in Wife's Murder, Sheriff Says
Investigators say Ashlee Butler was strangled and her death was staged as a suicide before a grand jury indicted Ross Butler on murder and abduction charges.
- On Wednesday, Flagler County authorities arrested Ross Butler, 56, outside AdventHealth Palm Coast in Flagler Beach, where he had been admitted. Butler is wanted in Virginia for first-degree murder, abduction, and strangulation related to his wife Ashlee Butler's 2021 death.
- Although the death was initially reported as a suicide, investigators determined the evidence and victim's injuries were inconsistent with that conclusion, leading them to believe the scene had been staged after strangulation. A Chesterfield County grand jury indicted Butler on murder charges on May 18, 2026.
- Detectives tracked Butler to AdventHealth Palm Coast after learning he had been staying at the Whale Watch motel in Flagler Beach. Deputies from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office apprehended him immediately after his release on Wednesday.
- Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly praised the multi-agency collaboration, stating, "This case is an excellent example of teamwork and serves as a warning to fugitives that you can't avoid the long arm of the law, especially in Flagler County."
- Butler awaits extradition to Virginia while held without bond at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. Chesterfield County Police continue investigating as the suspect prepares to face justice in Virginia.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Man arrested for wife's 2021 killing, 'staged suicide' was under investigation for nearly 5 years, police say
The man charged this week with murdering his wife in 2021 and staging it as a suicide had been under investigation ever since the incident took place, Chesterfield Police told 8News.
Flagler Deputies Arrest Virginia Murder Suspect Accused Of Faking Wife's Suicide in 2021
Ross Butler was arrested in Flagler County on a Virginia warrant for the 2021 murder of his wife Ashlee Butler-Davis. Authorities allege the 56-year-old man strangled the 36-year-old woman in Chesterfield County and staged the scene as a suicide. A Virginia grand jury two weeks ago indicted him on a first-degree murder charge. Flagler deputies detained him outside AdventHealth Palm Coast and he now awaits extradition back to Virginia. The post F…
Flagler County deputies arrest fugitive wanted for murdering wife in Virginia in 2021
Flagler County authorities arrested a 50-year-old Flagler Beach man on May 27 who is wanted in Virginia on charges in the 2021 death of his wife, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.
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