Fugitive accused of staging wife’s murder to look like a suicide arrested in Florida
Flagler County deputies place handcuffs on fugitive Ross Butler on Wednesday during an arrest outside a Florida medical facility. Courtesy: Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. - A fugitive wanted in Virginia for killing his wife and making it look like a suicide has been captured in Florida.
Virginia murder investigation
Timeline:
Ashlee Butler died in December 2021.
The Chesterfield County Police Department had been investigating her death for more than four years.
Her death was reported as a suicide, but detectives said the evidence at the scene and the victim’s injuries were not consistent with someone who took their own life.
Instead, they believed she was strangled to death, and the scene had been staged.
On May 18, 2026, a grand jury in Chesterfield indicted her husband, Ross Butler, 56, on murder and strangulation charges.
Flagler County suspect apprehension
On May 26, 2026, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Intelligence Unit was contacted to help locate and apprehend Ross Butler, who was believed to be living in a motel on Flagler Beach.
Detectives determined that Ross Butler was recently admitted to AdventHealth Palm Coast.
Law enforcement officers surround murder suspect Ross Butler outside AdventHealth Palm Coast on Wednesday following his medical release from the hospital. Courtesy: Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
On May 27, he was released from the hospital and arrested outside on a fugitive arrest warrant for first-degree murder, first-degree murder: abduction, felony homicide, and strangulation.
Ross Butler was taken to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office to be interviewed by Chesterfield County detectives.
He was then taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he is being held without bond, awaiting extradition to Virginia.
Ross Butler criminal history
The backstory:
Butler has a criminal history in Flagler County, with previous arrests for charges including driving while license suspended, DUI, and possession of marijuana.
A mugshot shows Ross Butler, 56, who faces first-degree murder and strangulation charges in Virginia after a multiyear investigation into the 2021 death of his wife. Courtesy: Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
‘Can’t avoid the long arm of the law’
What they're saying:
"This case is an excellent example of teamwork and serves as a warning to fugitives that you can’t avoid the long arm of the law, especially in Flagler County," said Sheriff Rick Staly. "This guy thought he could get away with murder and live the rest of his life at the beach. Thanks to cooperation between our Criminal Intelligence Unit, Fugitive Apprehension Unit, the Chesterfield County Police Department, and the Flagler Beach Police Department, he’s hiding out no longer and will soon be headed back to Virginia to face justice."
Investigation continues
What you can do:
The case is still under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Chesterfield County Police’s non-emergency line at 804-748-1251 or Chesterfield County/Colonial Heights Crime Solvers at 804-748-0660.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, which released an official statement detailing the arrest timeline and background of the investigation, as well as the Chesterfield County Police Department.