JACKSON – A 44-year-old female resident of Jackson has been charged with murder in connection with the death of her husband.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Jackson Police Chief Matthew Kunz announced that on Aug. 2, Antonia Ashford, 44, was charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of her husband, Roderick Ashford, at their home in Jackson.
Ashford was also charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to a press release.
Authorities said that on Aug. 2 at 2:15 a.m., Jackson police officers responded to a residence on Harvey Jones Drive, off Diamond Road, in reference to a 911 call indicating a man had been shot.
The responding officers found Roderick Ashford, 47, lying unresponsive on the floor with a gunshot wound to the face. Attempts were made to revive Ashford, but he was not able to be revived and was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to the press release.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, the Jackson Police Department Detective Bureau and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined Antonia Ashford allegedly pointed a handgun at her husband and discharged the weapon, thereby causing his death, according to the press release.
Ashford was arrested and transported to the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, where she is presently lodged pending a detention hearing.