In the pre-dawn hours of Halloween morning in 2022, a quiet Midlothian, Virginia neighborhood was shattered by an act of sudden violence that claimed the life of 56-year-old Robert Cameron Ashburn. A White male, Ashburn was leaving his home on North Carriage Lane at approximately 3:30 a.m. when he noticed an individual rummaging through his girlfriend's unlocked car in the driveway. When he went to confront the person, he was tragically shot.
First responders arrived at the scene, but Ashburn succumbed to his injuries there.
The initial investigation into the seemingly random act of violence left the community on edge as police searched for the person responsible. Home surveillance footage captured the fatal confrontation, showing Ashburn approaching the suspect before the deadly shot was fired. The suspect then fled the scene on foot, disappearing into the early morning darkness. With the suspect's identity unknown, investigators turned to the public for assistance, urging anyone with information to come forward.
Weeks later, a breakthrough in the case led to the arrests of two young men. On November 18, 2022, police arrested 25-year-old Asuntae M. Barksdale. His identification as a suspect was aided by body-worn camera footage from a traffic stop that had occurred on the night of the homicide. Following his arrest, Barksdale was charged with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
The investigation continued, leading to a second arrest on November 29, 2022. Avontae M. Smith, 21, was taken into custody and faced charges similar to Barksdale's. A third individual who was in the vehicle with Barksdale during the traffic stop was also identified, but after consultation with the Chesterfield County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, they were not charged in connection with Ashburn's death.
