In the summer of 2016, a visit to friends and family in Louisville, Kentucky, turned tragic for 26-year-old Ashley Ann Spriggs, a White/Caucasian mother from New Albany, Indiana. On the evening of July 12th, Spriggs was at a residence in the Russell neighborhood on West Muhammad Ali Boulevard when she sustained a single, fatal gunshot wound to the head.
Following the shooting, she was driven to Norton Hospital and subsequently transferred to the University of Louisville Hospital, where she was pronounced dead in the early hours of the following morning.
The investigation into the young woman's death quickly led authorities to a suspect. Two days after the shooting, Louisville Metro Police arrested 51-year-old Kenneth Willis in connection with the crime. The events leading to the fatal shooting reportedly began after Spriggs, her friend Brittney Wells, and Willis had used heroin at his home. An altercation ensued when Willis, a known drug dealer, accused Spriggs of stealing some of his drugs. During the confrontation, Willis struck Spriggs with a handgun, which then discharged, causing her fatal injury. It was Willis and Wells who then transported the dying Spriggs to the hospital.
Willis was initially charged with murder, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, and possession of a controlled substance. His bond was set at $100,000. Ultimately, the judicial process concluded with a conviction not for murder, but for the lesser charge of reckless homicide. For his role in the death of Ashley Spriggs, Kenneth Willis was sentenced to five years in prison. Ashley, described as a caring and outgoing person with a beautiful soul, left behind a young son.
