ALLIANCE ‒ A city man accused of killing his wife and then fleeing to West Virginia is back in Stark County.
Alliance police detectives picked up 50-year-old Robert Andre Ross on May 15, and he has been booked into the county jail, police Lt. Chris McCord said.
He is expected to be arraigned May 18 in Alliance Municipal Court. He waived his extradition during a court hearing in West Virginia.
Robert Ross has been charged with murder in the death of his wife Ashley Ross, 38. Her body was found May 13 by her children. He was arrested May 13 by U.S. marshals in Monongalia County in West Virginia after he fled the family home in Alliance.
He had been held in the North Central Regional Jail.
Ross is accused of shooting his wife in their home on West Ely Street between May 12 and May 13 before fleeing, federal authorities said. He was stopped on Interstate 68 — which connects Morgantown, West Virginia, to the Maryland state line — without incident, according to a U.S. Marshals press release.
Federal agents and authorities with the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office, Morgantown Police Department and West Virginia State Police spotted Ross in his vehicle near a Lowe’s store before they captured him.
Authorities had not previously stated how Ashley Ross was killed.
McCord confirmed she was shot but also said that was “not the only violence” she suffered.
An investigator with the Stark County Coroner’s Office has said Ashley Ross sustained traumatic injuries to her arms and head. The motive has not been released. McCord said the undisclosed part of the violence was being withheld until the autopsy is complete.
Suspect in Ashley Ross’ murder had a history of domestic abuse
Robert Ross has a history of domestic abuse.
According to Stark County court records, he has been convicted at least three times for domestic violence since 1997. His last conviction was for a felony, in 2009, against a different victim. He received probation and community service.
Following the death of Ashley Ross, a Facebook post from the Alliance Police Department on May 14 said domestic violence continues to be “a serious and dangerous issue affecting families and communities across our nation,” and there are resources available for assistance and support.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233 or text BEGIN to 88788. The local hotline is 330-453-7233 or 330-823-7223. There also are domestic violence shelters in Alliance and Canton. For more information, visit Stark Help Central website.
“No one should suffer in silence or feel trapped in an abusive situation,” police said. “We encourage anyone experiencing domestic violence or abuse to contact law enforcement, a trusted family member, or a local victim advocacy organization for assistance and support.”
Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Suspect in Ashley Ross killing booked into Stark County Jail
Reporting by Benjamin Duer, Canton Repository / The Repository
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