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A Texas man has been arrested days after police say he killed his wife inside the couple’s home last week.
Chelsea Spillers, 33, was killed inside her Alvarado, Texas, home on Saturday, Oct. 18 in what authorities say is being investigated as an “unexplained death,” according to the Alvarado Police Department.
Detectives were responding to a request for a welfare check at the high school biology teacher’s home when they discovered Spillers’ body, FOX 4 reported.
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Chelsea Spillers, a high school science teacher, was found dead inside her Alvarado, Texas, home on Saturday, Oct. 18. (Alvarado ISD via FOX 4)
Investigators now suspect that her husband, Brandon Ashley, was responsible for her death, which was caused by blunt force trauma, according to preliminary evidence and a coroner’s report, the outlet reported.
On Monday, authorities received reports of a shirtless man trespassing at a residence in Bedias – located about 150 miles south of Alvarado – the previous day, the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
The individual, who was later identified as Ashley, was reportedly believed to be experiencing a mental health episode while walking on private property Sunday morning, according to police. He was also spotted knocking on neighbors’ doors to ask for a shirt, while allegedly making comments about avoiding a nearby highway because there were “too many cops,” the department said.
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Brandon Ashley faces a murder charge for the death of his wife, Chelsea Spillers, according to police. (Grimes County Sheriff’s Office)
Ashley was taken into custody Monday morning after he told officers he had stashed a pistol near a local convenience store around where he was arrested, according to police. Authorities later recovered an Astra .357-caliber pistol near the store.
Following his arrest, deputies learned that Ashley was wanted for Spillers’ alleged murder in Johnson County.
“The police department would like to remind the public that an arrest is not a conviction, and the suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law,” Alvarado police said in an update, according to FOX 4. “The investigation remains ongoing as the case is prepared for presentation to the District Attorney’s office.”
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Brandon Ashley was booked into the Grimes County Jail as he awaits extradition to Johnson County, where he faces an alleged murder charge for the death of his wife, Chelsea Spillers, according to police. (Google Maps)
Ashley was booked into the Grimes County Jail as he awaits extradition to Johnson County, where he faces a murder charge, police said.
Spillers worked as a biology and chemistry high school teacher and was beloved by her students, FOX 4 reported.
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“We were saddened to hear of the tragic passing of a beloved Alvarado High School educator, Chelsea Spillers, on Saturday,” the school district said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “She was a dedicated educator who loved her scholars and Alvarado ISD team. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and our entire Alvarado ISD family.”
The Grimes County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.