In the small city of Piedmont, Alabama, a domestic argument on a Saturday afternoon escalated into a tragedy that ended the life of 36-year-old Ashley Marie Leonard. On September 14, 2024, police were dispatched to a residence in the 500 block of Hughes Street around 3:16 p.m. following a report of a gunshot victim. Upon arrival, officers discovered Ashley in a back bedroom with a gunshot wound to her head.
She was unresponsive but still alive.
Emergency responders from the Piedmont Rescue Squad and Fire Department provided immediate medical aid at the scene before she was transported to a local hospital for further treatment. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, Ashley Marie Leonard succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at 7:28 p.m. that evening. An investigation into the shooting was launched by the Piedmont Police Department, with assistance from Jacksonville State University's Center for Applied Forensics.
The investigation revealed that the shooting occurred during a domestic dispute with her boyfriend, 42-year-old Damien Michael Bailey. It was Bailey himself who called 911 for help after the shooting. He was taken into custody at the scene and subsequently charged with murder. In addition to the murder charge, Bailey also faced charges for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. He was booked into the Calhoun County Jail and was being held without bond pending an Aniah's Law hearing.
Ashley was a mother of three children. A GoFundMe campaign was initiated by friends to help with funeral expenses and to provide support for her children. She was remembered as a caring individual who had worked for many years at a local Jack's restaurant and more recently as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Cherokee County Health & Rehab. Her father, Wayne Leonard, expressed his heartbreak, stating that his daughter did not deserve what happened to her as he made her funeral arrangements.
