In the early morning hours of January 27, 2025, a single-vehicle rollover crash in Independence, Oregon, led to a grim discovery and the unraveling of a homicide case. Responding deputies found the driver, 39-year-old Tyler Andrew Holman of Salem, injured and in need of medical attention. Tragically, they also found the body of a woman inside the wrecked vehicle. The woman was identified as 35-year-old Ashley Jean Gandolfi, a White female from Salem.
Investigators at the scene quickly determined that her death was not a result of the crash; instead, it appeared her body was being transported at the time of the accident.
An autopsy later confirmed the suspicions of law enforcement, revealing that Ashley Gandolfi had died from a gunshot wound, and her death was ruled a homicide. The investigation into her death led detectives to the Salem residence of Tyler Holman, who was revealed to have been in a long-term romantic relationship with Gandolfi for over 11 years, and they shared a child. This history included a previous charge against Holman for assaulting Gandolfi in March 2024, although the case was later dismissed.
Following his release from the hospital on January 30, Tyler Andrew Holman was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and second-degree abuse of a corpse in connection with Gandolfi's death. The investigation also led to the arrest of a second individual, 37-year-old Logan L. Wilkins. Prosecutors allege that Wilkins assisted Holman in moving Gandolfi's body on the day she was killed. Wilkins faces charges of second-degree abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence. During Holman's court appearance, Gandolfi's family expressed their fears for their safety and the safety of the child he shared with the victim. A judge ordered Holman to be held without bail.
