CARROLL COUNTY JURY FINDS AARON TARRIE ASHLEY, SR. GUILTY OF MURDER, FELONY MURDER, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, CONCEALING THE DEATH OF ANOTHER, TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE, AND THEFT BY TAKING

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 14, 2022

On February 13, 2023, after a weeklong trial, a Carroll County jury found Aaron Tarrie Ashley, Sr. guilty of one count of Malice Murder, one count of Felony Murder, one count of Aggravated Assault, one count of Concealing the Death of Another, one count of Tampering with Evidence, one Count of Theft by Taking, and one count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony.

At trial, the evidence showed that, in the early morning hours of January 19, 2020, Ashley shot and killed Christopher Cook with a shotgun in the Ashley’s own house, before subsequently moving Mr. Cook’s body to the backyard, covering him with a camouflage sleeping bag and dead tree limbs, cleaning up the crime scene, and hiding the murder weapon at another individual’s home. The defendant was later taken into custody after a multi-hour standoff with law enforcement in Bremen, GA. At trial, the defendant claimed that he acted in self-defense by shooting Mr. Cook, but with its verdict, the jury rejected Ashley’s claim that he was justified.

This case was investigated by Carroll County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Kim Hope and prosecuted by the Carroll County District Attorney’s Office. Senior ADA Nathan Stewart and Chief Deputy ADA Robert Mooradian presented the case to the jury with the assistance of Inv. Hope, Inv. Shannon Bramblett of the District Attorney’s Office, and the aid and support of the entire Carroll County District Attorney’s Office. The Honorable Judge Michael Hubbard presided over the case; sentencing is currently scheduled for March 23, 2023.

JOHN HERBERT CRANFORD, JR.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
COWETA JUDICIAL CIRCUIT