In Missouri, Ryan Alexander was convicted nearly four years after Ashton Alexander was shot in Clinton.
CLINTON, Mo. — Ryan Alexander claimed self-defense after calling 911 to report that he had shot his wife, but a Henry County jury convicted him of first-degree murder in her 2022 death.
The conviction announced by Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway followed a multi-day trial focused on the killing of Ashton Alexander, 28, inside the couple’s home on Aug. 27, 2022. Jurors also found Ryan Alexander, 30, guilty of armed criminal action. Prosecutors said his self-defense claim did not match the evidence they presented about the argument, packed luggage and repeated gunfire.
The 911 call came after the shooting, according to prosecutors. Alexander told authorities he acted in self-defense. The state’s version of events was different. Prosecutors said he and Ashton Alexander had argued earlier that evening. They said he left the home, went to a liquor store, bought beer and returned a short time later. When he came back inside, he found that Ashton had packed luggage for herself and their one-year-old twin boys near the front door.
That discovery, prosecutors said, led to the fatal violence. The attorney general’s office said Alexander took his handgun and shot Ashton once in the head. After she fell to the floor, he stood over her and fired the rest of the magazine into her head. The state argued that those acts supported first-degree murder and armed criminal action, not self-defense. The post-verdict announcement did not list every forensic detail jurors heard, but officials said the evidence was strong enough for a short deliberation.
Henry County Prosecuting Attorney LaChrisha Gray said the jury carefully considered the evidence. “We brought forward a strong case, and after a short deliberation, the jury returned a guilty verdict,” Gray said. She thanked law enforcement officers who worked on the investigation and said the verdict brought justice for Ashton Alexander, her children and the community. Hanaway said the state was proud to partner with Gray’s office.
The case placed domestic conflict at the center of a homicide trial. Prosecutors said the marriage was difficult because of Alexander’s controlling nature and his belief that Ashton was involved in extramarital affairs. Officials did not say those suspicions were proven. The state presented them as part of the background that jurors needed to understand the argument and the shooting that followed. The packed bags served as a marker of what Ashton Alexander appeared to be preparing to do before she was killed.
Ashton Alexander, whose family name was Schouten, was remembered in obituary records as a woman with deep local ties. She was born in Sedalia and lived in Centerview. She graduated from Crest Ridge High School and attended the University of Central Missouri for two years. Her obituary said she worked as a physical therapist from age 16, held ReWalk Program certification and had an intense love of animals. She was survived by her twin sons, parents, siblings and extended family.
The murder case moved through Henry County courts for nearly four years before the guilty verdict. First-degree murder cases often require extensive preparation because prosecutors must prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt and defense lawyers may challenge intent, evidence and witness accounts. In this case, the public record released after trial shows the jury was asked to decide whether Alexander’s explanation of self-defense could stand against the state’s account of the shooting.
The trial team included Gray, Investigator Heather Sabin and Chief Counsel Kevin Zoellner, according to the attorney general’s office. Hanaway described the case as an example of state support for county prosecutors in serious cases. The announcement also said formal sentencing before Judge Brandon Baker would be scheduled later. It did not say whether Alexander would seek post-trial relief or appeal after sentencing.
The verdict does not end the criminal case. Sentencing remains, and the judge will impose punishment after a hearing is set. The armed criminal action conviction adds another legal finding tied to the use of the handgun. Prosecutors did not release a new statement from Alexander after the verdict, and the public announcement did not detail any comments from defense counsel.
Currently, Ryan Alexander now stands convicted after a jury rejected the self-defense account he gave following the shooting. His next court milestone is formal sentencing in Henry County, with the date still to be placed on the calendar.
Author note: Last updated June 20, 2026.