Former Sheriff's Deputy Accused in Wife's 2012 Shooting Death
Authorities thought Ashley Fallis killed herself, but her family didn't agree.
— -- A former sheriff’s deputy in Colorado is in custody, accused of killing his wife nearly three years ago, a death that was originally ruled a suicide.
Tom Fallis, 34, who now lives in Bloomington, Indiana, appeared in court Thursday for an extradition hearing. He will soon be moved to Colorado to formally face charges for the New Year’s Day 2012 murder of his wife Ashley Fallis, 28.
According to a grand jury indictment, the husband “became irate” at the end of a New Year’s party, stormed into their master bedroom, grabbed a handgun and shot his wife. He is charged with two felony charges of murder.
Tom Fallis’ attorney said the man is innocent.
The husband called 911 to report his wife’s death.
“My wife just shot herself in the head. Please help me! Please help me!” he told dispatchers at the time.
Four different agencies initially agreed it was a suicide, police said. Dan Recht, an attorney for Ashley Fallis’ family, said her relatives could never accept that analysis.
“They just knew their daughter, she was very happy, a young mother with three young children. And the idea that she would somehow decide to commit suicide, they would never accept it,” Recht said.
Denver TV station KDVR, working with the family, took a closer look at the case, obtaining 911 calls and police interrogation video filmed after her death. One neighbor said they heard Ashley Fallis screaming. Another neighbor said they overheard Tom Fallis confessing to the crime.
Those testimonies never made it into the initial police record, authorities said. As the new witness testimony came to light, police reopened the investigation, leading to the grand jury that brought charges against Tom Fallis.
Jenna Fox, Ashley’s mother, said she’s stunned by the arrest.
“Shock, elation, sadness … it encompasses every emotion you could have,” Fox said.
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