In the Bronx, a grim discovery brought a tragic story to light in November 2021. Ashley Ducille, a 29-year-old woman, was found deceased in her Creston Avenue apartment. Her body, along with that of a 40-year-old man, was discovered after a downstairs neighbor reported a foul odor and maggots coming from the ceiling. Police who responded to the scene for a wellness check found the two bodies in a state of advanced decomposition.
Investigations into the deaths painted a harrowing picture
of Ducille's final weeks. Authorities believe the man, who was reportedly her abusive boyfriend, was the perpetrator in a murder-suicide. A gun was found near the man's body. Neighbors recalled hearing gunshots from the apartment about a week before the bodies were found, but the incident was not reported at the time. An autopsy later confirmed that Ducille died from gunshot wounds to her head and torso, while the man's death was a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Those who knew Ducille described a life marked by struggle and fear. The building superintendent stated that she had expressed fear of her boyfriend and that he would frequently have to change the locks to her apartment. He also recounted seeing her with bruises and that she had told him the boyfriend had broken a bone in her back. Family members and the superintendent indicated a history of domestic violence, with Ducille having obtained orders of protection against the man. In the time leading up to her death, Ducille, a mother of four, had reportedly been struggling and had lost custody of her children. The name of the man found with her has not been publicly released by authorities. Due to the nature of the incident as a murder-suicide, no arrests were made.
