In the quiet community of Mount Pleasant, Michigan, the life of 33-year-old Rosanna M. Romero, a woman of Native American heritage and a respected member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, was tragically cut short on November 4, 2022. Known also by her maiden name, Rosanna Marie Keshick, she was a mother and an active member of her community, working for the tribe's business regulations department.
Her sudden and violent death sent ripples of shock and grief through those who knew her.
The circumstances of Rosanna's death were particularly harrowing. Inside a home in Union Township, an argument escalated into a fatal act of violence. Jonathan Ashford, a 39-year-old man from Saginaw, fired a weapon, striking and killing Rosanna. In a horrifying detail that emerged from the investigation, Rosanna was holding a six-month-old baby at the time she was shot. The infant sustained life-threatening injuries from the gunfire but miraculously survived the ordeal.
Following the incident, law enforcement identified Jonathan Ashford as the suspect. He was subsequently arrested and faced serious federal charges for his actions on the Isabella Reservation. The legal process that followed saw several delays, with Ashford's trial being postponed on more than one occasion.
Ultimately, in a turn of events within the judicial proceedings, Jonathan Ashford pleaded guilty to federal charges of murder, assault with intent to murder, and using a firearm to commit a crime. This admission of guilt brought an end to the protracted court case. In recognition of the severity of his crimes, Ashford was sentenced to a term of 33 years in federal prison, ensuring he would be held accountable for the life he took and the trauma he inflicted.
