In the late summer of 2014, concern grew for 27-year-old Ashley Nicole Garry when she failed to show up for her shift at a Cracker Barrel in Cordele, Georgia. This was highly uncharacteristic of the young mother, prompting her manager to drive to her home on South 10th Street on the afternoon of Sunday, September 7th, to check on her. Upon arrival, the manager discovered the front door to Ashley's residence was ajar and immediately contacted the authorities.
Crisp County Sheriff's deputies responded to the call for a welfare check. Once inside the home, they made a grim discovery; Ashley Garry was found deceased, having suffered a fatal gunshot wound. She was still in her work uniform with her car keys in her hand, slumped in the doorway of her bedroom. An autopsy would later reveal she had been shot in the top of her head, with the bullet's trajectory suggesting she was kneeling when her attacker fired the weapon. The scene was processed by investigators from the Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, who noted that a television and some of her son's shoes were missing from the home.
The investigation into Ashley's death continued for four months, with law enforcement following up on approximately 150 leads. Their efforts eventually led them to a man named Cameron Carter, who was located in the neighboring Pulaski County. At the time of his arrest on unrelated charges of burglary and obstruction, Carter was in possession of a. 380 caliber pistol. Ballistics testing confirmed that this was the same weapon used to end Ashley Garry's life. Investigators determined that there was no prior connection between Carter and his victim, and that she had likely come home from work and stumbled upon an armed intruder who was in the process of burglarizing her home.
Cameron Carter was subsequently charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and armed home invasion in connection with Ashley Garry's death. In November 2015, a jury took just over thirty minutes to find him guilty on these charges. For his crimes, he received two consecutive life sentences. An appeal of his conviction was later denied, affirming the court's decision.
