Ashley Reeves, a 17-year-old high school student, went missing on April 27, 2006, after telling her parents she had a job interview and would play basketball with friends. Her parents reported her missing when she didn't return home by her 10:30 PM curfew. An investigation led police to Ashley's boyfriend, Jeremy, but he had an alibi and was ruled out as a suspect.
Police then discovered that Ashley was in a secret relationship with Sam Shelton, a 27-year-old middle school teacher and high school baseball coach, who had been grooming her for exploitation since she was in middle school. Sam was arrested and confessed to attacking Ashley, putting her in a chokehold, and leaving her for dead in a forest.
Miraculously, Ashley was found alive 30 hours later, with a broken neck, and was taken to the hospital where she was put into a medically induced coma. She survived and made a remarkable recovery.
Sam Shelton was sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempted murder and is currently serving his sentence. Ashley, now 32, is happily married with two kids and leads a normal life.
1. Ashley Reeves was a 17-year-old high school student who lived in Milstadt, Illinois.
2. She was an excellent student and had a serious boyfriend named Jeremy.
3. Ashley had a job interview on April 27, 2006, and planned to play basketball with friends afterwards.
4. Her parents had not heard from her by 10 pm and began to get worried.
5. Ashley's parents called her boyfriend Jeremy, who said he hadn't spoken to her since he gave her the keys to his SUV.
6. The police were called, and they found Jeremy's SUV in the parking lot of Ladderman Park.
7. Ashley's clothes were found in the car, but she was nowhere to be found.
8. The police searched the park and surrounding areas but found no sign of Ashley.
9. The police suspected foul play and began questioning Ashley's friends and acquaintances.
10. One of Ashley's friends revealed that she was in a secret relationship with a 27-year-old middle school teacher named Sam Shelton.
11. Sam was brought in for questioning and eventually confessed to attacking Ashley.
12. According to Sam's confession, he had been grooming Ashley for exploitation since she was in middle school.
13. Sam attacked Ashley in his car, putting her in a chokehold and breaking her neck.
14. He then stuffed her body into the floorboards of his car and drove to Citizens Park, where he abandoned her in the woods.
15. Ashley's body was found 30 hours later, and she was rushed to the hospital.
16. Despite initial predictions that she would not survive, Ashley recovered and was able to re-learn how to walk, talk, eat, and drink.
17. Today, Ashley is 32 years old, happily married, and has two children.
18. Sam Shelton was sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempted murder and is still incarcerated.
19. He is eligible for parole in 2024.