Ashley Michelle Curtiss, a 37-year-old Caucasian woman, was tragically shot and killed in her car on December 31, 2020, in West Palm Beach, Florida. The incident occurred shortly after midnight at the intersection of 45th Street and I-95. Curtiss, who worked as a behavioral health technician at a local halfway house for men recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, was found dead at the scene.
She was a single mother to a young daughter.
The investigation into Ashley Michelle Curtiss's death revealed that she was shot while waiting at a stoplight. Witnesses reported seeing a dark-colored vehicle with darkly tinted windows pull up next to Curtiss's car. A person with an assault rifle was seen hanging out of the driver's side rear window, firing shots through the front windshield of Curtiss's vehicle. The vehicle used in the shooting was later found abandoned, with its window tint removed.
Two men, James Tooks III, 26, of West Palm Beach, and Antwane Thurston, 37, of Pahokee, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Curtiss's death. Fingerprints and phone records linked the suspects to the crime. Both men are being held without bail, and their cases are ongoing. The police have not disclosed a motive for the shooting, and it remains unclear whether Curtiss was the intended target.
Authorities continue to seek information from the public to aid in the investigation. A reward has been offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Curtiss's death.
