In what began as a response to a house fire, the tragic deaths of Chad Wayne Ashford, a 54-year-old male, and a female companion unfolded in Mathews, VA. On the night of Friday, July 11, 2025, fire crews were dispatched to a blaze at a residence on John Clayton Memorial Highway. After extinguishing the fire, emergency personnel discovered two bodies inside the home, later identified as Chad Wayne Ashford and 56-year-old Audrey Elaine Hudgins Mowrar. The initial investigation quickly shifted from a fire incident to a homicide case when it was determined that both victims had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Authorities determined that Ashford and Mowrar had been shot and killed the previous day, Thursday, July 10, 2025. The subsequent fire was intentionally set in an attempt to conceal the murders and destroy evidence. The investigation, aided by digital evidence, public tips, and license plate readers, led law enforcement to Newport News. There, a traffic stop was initiated on a suspect vehicle, which then led to a foot chase and the eventual apprehension of two suspects: 33-year-old Carol Paul Cormier Jr. of Mathews County and 18-year-old Lacey Ann Horsley of Gloucester County.
Following the arrests, details of the alleged crime emerged through court documents. Horsley reportedly told investigators that she witnessed an argument between Cormier and Ashford, which culminated in Cormier shooting Ashford multiple times. When Mowrar attempted to call for help, Cormier allegedly shot and killed her as well. Horsley admitted to driving Cormier away from the scene and returning with him the next day to set the house on fire. Evidence, including. 380 cartridges, was later recovered in Gloucester County.
Carol Paul Cormier Jr. faces multiple charges, including two counts of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of each murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and burning or destroying a residential structure. Lacey Ann Horsley has been charged with being an accessory after the fact in both murders and conspiracy to burn or destroy a residential structure. Both suspects are being held without bond at the Middle Peninsula Regional Security Center as the investigation continues.
