When police in Alvarado, Texas, found a woman dead inside her home on October 18, 2025, they classified her death as “unexplained.” Law enforcement confirmed there was no threat to the public, which immediately raised concerns about what happened inside the home. Chelsea Spillers, a 33-year-old teacher at Alvarado High School, died from blunt-force trauma. Prosecutors charged her husband, Brandon Ashley, with murder in connection with her death.
Police arrived at the couple’s home for a welfare check around 5:30 p.m. October 18, 2025, CBS News Texas reported. Authorities reportedly found Spillers dead but no sign of Ashley. The following day, on October 19, the Grimes County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a man trespassing near a home in Bedias, 160 miles from Alvarado.
“The caller reported that the individual, described as a white male wearing black shorts and no shirt, appeared to be experiencing a possible mental health episode. Information provided to deputies indicated that the subject was observed at a property and may have been in possession of a pistol in his pocket,” the sheriff’s office noted in a release.
The sheriff’s office identified the suspect as Ashley, and others in the neighborhood told investigators he’d been knocking on doors earlier in the day, asking for a shirt. During the course of the investigation, deputies learned that officials in Johnson County wanted Ashley for murder. Police ultimately apprehended Ashley on October 20 and took him to a hospital for an evaluation and treatment before transferring him to jail.
Neighbor Ashley Crow told WFAA that the news of Spillers’ death saddened her, but that the couple had a history with police. According to her, Alvarado police visited the home for a domestic disturbance on October 16.
“Me and my daughter were coming out of the house to go to cheer practice, and we just heard, you know, ‘get on the ground, put the gun down,’” Crow said.
Family told WFAA that Ashley bonded out of jail the following morning. The suspect’s sister, Amanda, told the outlet that Ashley called her from a gas station in Corsicana on October 18 and allegedly confessed to killing Spillers. Amanda said she drove until she was sure no one was following her and called police.
Spillers was a beloved teacher in the Alvarado Independent School District. WFAA obtained a letter officials sent to parents regarding the tragedy.
“We were saddened to hear of the tragic passing of a beloved Alvarado High School educator, Chelsea Spillers, on Saturday. She was a dedicated educator who loved her scholars and Alvarado ISD team,” the school district’s letter reads. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and our entire Alvarado ISD family. Alvarado ISD has counselors available by phone today and will be available in person on campus for scholars and educators for as long as needed.”
What a terrifying story. And to make this even more heartbreaking, the couple shared an 11-year-old son. WFFA reported the boy is staying with his family. If a court convicts Ashley, his son will have to live with the loss of both of his parents. What a horrifically selfish decision for a father to make.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic abuse, you can find help and support at DVIS.org, the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or by contacting your local women’s shelter (domesticshelters.org).
