Courtesy: Bay County Sheriff's Office
FOUNTAIN, Fla. - A Florida woman has been charged with murder after deputies say she killed her boyfriend in his sleep and buried his remains in a yard.
The backstory:
Thirty-three-year-old Joseph Eiler was reported missing on March 14, 2026, after he was reportedly last seen early in the morning two days earlier at a home on Creek Haven Road in Fountain.
Eiler’s father told investigators that he heard his son arguing with his girlfriend, Ashley Averett, around 4 a.m. that morning.
Investigators said Eiler did not show up to work for two consecutive shifts and was never seen again.
READ: Man convicted in 2008 Denise Amber Lee murder to be executed Tuesday night
After the missing persons report was filed, deputies said they spoke with Averett who told them that she and Eiler argued, and he had left the home with an unknown friend.
Investigators said Eiler’s father reached out to them and said he had heard another argument between the couple and gunshots in the early morning hours.
Dig deeper:
According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, Eiler’s father reported seeing Averett burning items in a fire pit, asking how to dispose of ashes, preventing access to parts of the home, and conducting excessive cleaning.
He also reported missing bedsheets, a firearm placed in an unusual place and freshly disturbed soil in the yard.
READ: Tampa smoke shop owner accused of buying narcotics on dark web busted after overdose death: Sheriff
Upon learning of these new details, investigators said they went back to the home and a witness said that Averett admitted to shooting Eiler while he slept and tried to get rid of his body.
During an interview with investigators, Averett confessed to shooting Eiler with a .380 caliber handgun.
According to BCSO, Averett also said she tried to dismember Eiler’s body and bury the remains in multiple locations in the yard.
Averett, according to investigators, also said that she bought cleaning supplies to try to clean up the scene.
While executing a search warrant, investigators said they found human remains in areas of freshly disturbed soil.
Averett was charged with one open count of murder.
The investigation is still ongoing.
The Source: This article was written with information posted on social media by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.