Autumn Wilkins was a vibrant 28-year-old Hispanic woman described by her best friend as one of a kind. Ashley Hibbard, who knew Autumn for over a decade, said she "lit up the room with her smile and her goofy soul" and had a knack for making people laugh. According to Hibbard, Autumn had so much life to live and many plans she never had the chance to accomplish.
On the afternoon of October 21, 2023, deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department were called to a residence in the 42200 block of Alexander Drive in Sage, a rural community in California. Around 5:00 p.m., they responded to a report of a deceased person and found Autumn inside her home. She had suffered traumatic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators later stated that during the incident, an adult male who was also at the residence was shot at but was not injured.
The Sheriff's Central Homicide Unit assumed the investigation and identified David Douglas, a 44-year-old man from Lake Elsinore, as a suspect. On October 22, at approximately 2:40 p.m., authorities located and detained Douglas at a business on Florida Avenue and Buena Vista Street in Hemet. He was arrested without incident on suspicion of murder and attempted murder and was booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Facility.
Following the arrest, the case was presented to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. However, prosecutors declined to file a criminal complaint against Douglas. A spokeswoman for the office stated, "Further investigation is underway in this case," but provided no other details regarding the decision. Douglas was subsequently released from custody.
In the wake of her death, a fundraiser was organized to help Autumn’s family with funeral expenses and the cost of transporting her from California to Georgia to be laid to rest. As of October 2023, the investigation into Autumn Wilkins' death is ongoing and the case remains unsolved. Authorities have encouraged anyone with information regarding the investigation to call the Southwest Station Investigation Bureau at 951-696-3000.
