In the early morning hours of November 15, 2019, 36-year-old Joshua A. Poole was shot and killed in his home at 8 Delevan Street in Auburn, New York. The incident, which marked the city's first homicide since 2013, was the result of a robbery gone wrong. Poole, a male who grew up in Clyde, N.Y., was a father to a son and a daughter.
The investigation that followed led to the arrest of three individuals. Investigators utilized a home surveillance system to identify the suspects. Gage Ashley, then 22, was armed with a handgun, while 17-year-old Lucciano Spagnola carried a shotgun. They were accompanied by 19-year-old Tyree Anglin. Evidence showed that the three had purchased ski masks from a local Walmart days before the incident and later attempted to burn their clothes to hide evidence. A vehicle connected to the crime was also recovered from the Seneca River in Cato.
The legal proceedings brought convictions for all three men involved. Lucciano Spagnola pleaded guilty to two counts of murder, attempted robbery, and conspiracy, admitting to firing the shotgun at Poole. Tyree Anglin pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his role in the murder. Gage Ashley was initially convicted in 2021, but that verdict was overturned approximately 18 months later due to an issue with a grand juror's eligibility.
In March 2024, following a retrial, a jury once again found Gage Ashley guilty of murder, attempted robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon. Before the retrial, Ashley had rejected a plea deal that would have resulted in a sentence of 21 years to life. Ultimately, he was sentenced to 21 years to life in prison for his part in the death of Joshua Poole. The other co-defendant, Lucciano Spagnola, was also sentenced for his role in the armed robbery attempt that needlessly took a life.
