JEFFERSON COUNTY, MO – A horrifying discovery was made by authorities in Missouri on Tuesday after a woman, identified as Ashley Parmeley, allegedly admitted to killing her two children. In a shocking confession at a local police station, she claimed to have fatally shot one child and drowned the other.
Jefferson County Sheriff Dave Marshak informed in a news conference that the 36-year-old mother had been taken into custody. She has since been charged with second-degree murder. Parmeley is currently held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail.
Upon investigation, the dead body of Parmeley’s 9-year-old daughter was found in the mother’s car parked outside the Festus police station, where Parmeley turned herself in. Also reported was Parmeley’s wet clothing upon her arrival at the police station. This lead investigators to a chilling discovery of Parmeley’s 2-year-old son, dead in a fountain situated outside a resort near Festus, a suburb of St. Louis. Marshak confirmed that the toddler drowned.
Authorities were alarmed about the potential danger to a third child. However, officers located the child unharmed.
While it remains unclear what drove Parmeley to commit such a heinous act,she’s currently facing charges only related to her son’s death. Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office plans to approach prosecutors in St. Francois County to press charges regarding her daughter’s death.
Reflecting the community’s shock and grief, the Festus School District confirmed the identity of the 9-year-old victim, and stated that she recently completed 3rd grade.