An Aurora man today was sentenced to 20 years in prison for killing a woman whose body was later dumped in Clear Creek County.
Shawrae Butler, 22, accepted a plea agreement March 5 in which he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and to tampering with a deceased human body in the death of Queen Ashby. Other counts against him were dismissed.
On Thursday, Arapahoe District Judge Ben Leutwyler sentenced Butler to 20 years in the Department of Corrections on each count, to be served all at once.
“The tragedy of her death is more than enough for her family, but added to that is the complete disregard for her and for her family and for human life in general,” Leutwyler said in imposing the sentence. “To have her wrapped and dumped in that manner is appalling to me.”
District Attorney George Brauchler monitored the case closely and said another felon found a way to commit a gun crime despite being on probation at the time.
“Shooting the young mother of a 6-month-old baby in the head is outrageous,” Brauchler said. “Doing nothing to help her and allowing her body to be dumped like garbage... that is despicable.”
On April 8, 2017, the body of a woman was found alongside Highway 103 in Clear Creek County. The woman had been shot in the temple and had no identification.
When a drawing of the woman was released, tips came in, and investigators used fingerprints to determine the woman was Ashby, 20, who had been reported missing from her Aurora home.
Identification led investigators to her apartment on Joliet Street in Aurora.
Aurora Police detectives discovered that on April 1, 2017, a group of friends were at the apartment doing drugs. Witnesses identified Butler as being there and having a gun. Several witnesses said he put the gun against Ashby’s temple and pulled the trigger.
According to court documents several people were there, saw what happened, heard what happened or possibly helped hide the body but doesn’t indicate anyone called 911 or called for help.
The documents also say Butler's girlfriend bought duct tape, kitchen gloves and cleaning supplies and that, later that night, she saw Queen's body inside the apartment.
She’s been charged with accessory to a crime and is due in court in May.
At Butler’s sentencing, the courtroom was packed to overflowing with friends and family of Ashby. She was mom to a 6-month-old baby girl when she was killed.
“This is about justice,” the child’s father told the court. “I’ve been trying to do everything for my baby … she ain’t gonna know her mama at all.”
Ashby’s mother echoed that: “How will I explain to my granddaughter that her mom is gone and that somebody threw her away like she was nothing?” she told the court as she wept.
Ashby’s grandmother gave an emotional statement, saying through tears, “Someone killed her, dumped her … left her there to rot. People care for more for their dogs.”
Jiron McMillon, the father of Queen's daughter spoke as well.
“Regardless of anything, even if he sat there and lied about everything that happened, he could have stood up and said I’m sorry. I took your family from y’all. I see the hurt y'all are going through," said McMillon. "I would have respected him more as a man for that, but he couldn't say nothing.”
Chief Deputy District Attorney Karen Pearson acknowledged challenges in the case.
“The defendant is a felon who never should have been in possession of a firearm at any time,” she said. “The death of Queen Ashby is a horrible tragedy and a terrible act on the part of this defendant. … The act of moving her body like trash makes it so much more egregious.”
This weekend marks one year since Queen Ashby was killed.
