A small community in Tennessee is very sad and confused after 41-year-old Ashleigh McKinzie was found dead early in the morning along a quiet part of Smithville Highway.
Deputies came just before sunrise and found her lying in the road with what looked like gunshot wounds. A loaded handgun was found close by, still cocked.
Investigators say a 27-year-old man named Todd Stanton was at the scene when deputies arrived. He has been talking with officers and has not been charged while they keep collecting evidence. Detectives are still trying to understand what happened in Ashleigh’s final moments.
Neighbors say the area is usually peaceful, where people wave to each other and kids ride bikes after school. Many had driven down that same road hours before and never imagined such a tragedy would happen there. They say the flashing lights that morning did not feel real and that losing someone so suddenly has shaken their feeling of safety.
Friends say Ashleigh had a gentle way of speaking and a smile that made people feel calm. Now the community is waiting, hoping that every small detail investigators find will bring them closer to the truth. Authorities are asking anyone with information to come forward as they continue to look for answers about her final hours.
