A former crime scene technician who murdered her friend was 'flirty and playful' with police officers as they interrogated her ab...
A former crime scene technician who murdered her friend was 'flirty and playful' with police officers as they interrogated her about whereabouts of missing woman.
The body of former policewoman Taylor Wright, 33, was discovered on a remote Florida farm after she had been shot in the back of her head, buried on the edge of property and covered with concrete and potting soil.
Detectives had a line-up of suspects to investigate including her ex-husband from whom Taylor stole $100,000, her new live-in girlfriend Casandra, and her best friend Ashley McArthur, the last person to see Taylor alive.
Two years after her body was found, Ashley, 41, was found guilty of killing her friend and received a life sentence, after it was discovered that she'd stolen $34,000 from Taylor before killing her at her parent's farm.
New Crime+Investigation series Murder Masterminds, delves into the case, and shows prosecution lawyer Bridgette Jenson explain how Ashley was 'playful' while speaking to police and lying about her friends whereabouts.
Ashley McArthur (pictured), 41, from Florida, was 'flirty and playful' with police officers as they interrogated her about whereabouts of missing woman
The body of former policewoman Taylor Wright (pictured), 33, was discovered on a remote Florida farm after she had been shot in the back of her head
Jenson was intent on playing the full six hours of Ashley's police interrogation to the Jury, explaining that her 'change in demeanor' was an important piece of evidence.
She told: 'I think that was important, because the jury got to see Ashley.
'If you look at the first interview she was flirty, maybe a little playful with law enforcement. In the second interview her demeanor was different. I think she knew she was caught.'
In her first interview, Ashley told the detective that she had picked Wright up on the morning of September 8th and they drove to various locations during the day before going to McArthur’s family property to ride horses.
Ashley received a life sentence in prison after it was discovered that she had stolen $34,000 from Taylor. She is pictured depositing the stolen money
Taylor had been shot in the back of her head, buried on the edge of property and covered with concrete and potting soil. Pictured, weapon's seized from Ashley
Ashley then claimed they then travelled back to her residence where Wright had left in an Uber to go to a bar.
In the police interview, Ashley was heard saying: 'I don't believe Taylor's been harmed, I think Taylor is doing what Taylor does, but I don't know, you know.
'She's always come across as being tough. She's always carrying weapons whether it's knives, or guns, or whatever. She's not an easy target.'
Elsewhere, when an officer asked if Taylor had ever 'come on to her', Ashley replied: 'Taylor asked me on time to have a threesome with her and some guy, and I was like, "No thank you".'
However the story Ashley was spreading to her friends and boyfriend was very different, with trial witnesses claiming Ashley was bragging of her plans to kill Taylor.
Taylor entrusted $32,000 to her friend, Ashley for safe keeping - with no knowledge that her friend was facing money troubles of her own
Ashley told the detective that she had picked Wright up before going to McArthur’s family property pictured) to ride horses
One local bar tender and friend of Ashely, Audrey Warne, alleged in court that she had told her plans to overdose Taylor on cocaine.
'She said she was going to put it [cocaine] in Taylor's beer, said Audrey. 'She said this world would be better if Taylor wasn't here and she wasn't a good person, once that she was too small to hurt anybody so she'd just shoot them.'
Before Taylor's death, the private investigator withdrew $100,000 from her and her husband’s bank accounts - to keep the funds away from the spouse she was in divorce proceedings with.
Taylor entrusted $32,000 to her friend, Ashley, for safe keeping - with no knowledge that her friend was facing money troubles of her own.
Bank records showed that on August 16, McArthur deposited a cashier’s check in Wright’s name for the amount of $34,000 into McArthur’s personal checking account
McArthur was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2019
After embarking on an affair with a man called Brandon Beaty and spending a huge chunk of her income on him, Ashely used Taylor's $32,000 to buy him a boat.
On September 8, 2017, the pair met so Taylor could obtain her money and Taylor and her girlfriend, Cassandra, communicated back and forth via text until about 11:20 am.
Wright’s girlfriend continued to try to communicate with her with no success until 7:58pm, when she received a text from Wright’s phone stating that she needed time to think and get her life on track.
During the investigation, McArthur’s bank records, phone records and text records were obtained and discrepancies were found in her original interview.
During the investigation, McArthur’s bank records, phone records and text records were obtained and discrepancies were found in her original interview
Mobile phone tracking showed that the pair had travelled to the remote Pensacola farm much later than Ashley was claiming
Mobile phone tracking showed that the pair had travelled to the remote Pensacola farm much later than Ashley was claiming.
When quizzed on the mistake in her original interview, she revealed that Taylor had wanted to collect the lockbox containing the money she had entrusted her with earlier.
Bank records showed that on August 16, McArthur deposited a cashier’s check in Wright’s name for the amount of $34,000 into McArthur’s personal checking account and that the money had since been spent.
McArthur was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
No comments