In the early summer of 2016, the life of Ashley Doolittle, an 18-year-old female, was tragically cut short. A recent graduate of Berthoud High School, Ashley was an accomplished equestrian with a bright future, preparing to attend Colorado State University to study agricultural business. Her life, however, took a devastating turn on June 9, 2016, just weeks after she had ended a year-long relationship with her ex-boyfriend, 18-year-old Tanner Flores. Distraught over the breakup, Flores arranged to meet with Ashley to discuss their relationship.
On that Thursday, the two met near Lon Hagler Reservoir. Flores drove them in his truck to the area of Carter Lake. During the drive back, after Ashley confirmed she would not reconsider their breakup, Flores reached for a handgun he had taken from his father. He then shot Ashley multiple times in the head as she sat in the passenger seat. After the shooting, he covered her body with a blanket and began a grim journey across the state. He drove for hours, eventually arriving at his late great-grandfather's remote property in Collbran, in Mesa County, more than 300 miles away.
When Ashley failed to return home that evening, her concerned parents discovered her empty vehicle at the reservoir and immediately reported her missing. An investigation was launched, and law enforcement quickly learned of her recent breakup with Flores, who was also reported missing. The following morning, authorities in Mesa County received a tip about Flores' truck. Deputies located the vehicle at the Collbran property, where they found Flores and the body of Ashley Doolittle inside the cab of his truck. He was taken into custody without incident.
During questioning, Flores initially claimed the shooting was an accident but later confessed to killing Ashley because he was angry that she had ended their relationship. He was charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping. In October 2017, a jury found Tanner Flores guilty on all counts. He was subsequently sentenced to a mandatory term of life in prison without the possibility of parole, with an additional 32 years for the kidnapping conviction, bringing a somber conclusion to a case of breakup violence that ended a young life filled with promise.
