Tag: teacher death

A North Texas man sent a sexually explicit photo of his wife to her co-worker before she was found dead at their home, according to an arrest warrant affidavit from the Alvarado Police Department.

Brandon Ashley, 26, of Alvarado was arrested and charged with murder after his wife Chelsea Spillers, 33, a teacher in the Alvarado school district, died in her home, according to police. Spillers’ cause of death is believed to be blunt force trauma, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Warrant details husband’s arrest

Alvarado police responded to a domestic disturbance call at the couple’s home on Oct. 16, according to an arrest warrant affidavit received by FOX 4-TV.

When the officer arrived on the scene they spoke to Ashley who “put a handgun to his own head and threatened suicide.” The officer was able to talk Ashley into dropping the gun and took him in custody, according to the affidavit.

Ashley was booked into the Johnson County Jail for interfering with public duties and was released from jail the next morning, the affidavit states.

A friend who was aware about the couple’s domestic dispute was concerned for Spillers safety called police after no one had been able to make contact with her, the affidavit reads.

Alvarado police responded to the couple’s home about 5:30 p.m. Oct. 18, after receiving the call.

The friend told police that Ashley’s sister messaged her saying Ashley told her Spillers was dead in the den of their home. The friend also told investigators Ashley was driving to her house to drop off their son and said that if officers stopped him, he would kill the child, detectives wrote in the affidavit.

When officers arrived at the couple’s home and no one answered. Officers forced entry into the home and found Spillers dead in the den. According to medical personnel it appeared her neck was broken, the affidavit read.

Investigators observed blood on the floor leading into the den doorway and on the floor in the den. Detectives determined that Spillers had been strangled based on bruising that could be seen on her neck, detectives wrote in the affidavit.

Ashley fled the home before officers arrived in a black Cadillac, according to the affidavit.

Ashley also told his sister that Spillers went into their son’s room to shoot the child and “he began fighting with her, and she had a seizure and fell and hit her head.” Investigators determined that the injuries to Chelsea’s body were not consistent with falling and striking her head, according to the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, Alvarado school district’s Chief of Police contacted the detectives and said one of the employees received text messages from Spillers at 9:53 a.m. on Oct. 18, with a photo of Spillers in lingerie and stating that she was leaving her husband to go stay in Houston, and wanted to meet up on Monday before leaving.

The employee told detectives that he had known Spillers for three years and has no interactions with her outside of work. Investigators later determined that the text was sent from Ashley’s phone number, according to the affidavit.

According to the employee, Spillers had showed up to work two weeks before with a black eye, but told co-workers she slipped on a wet bathroom floor and hit her face on the bathtub, the affidavit reads.

Ashley was arrested in Grimes County in Southeast Texas about 180 miles from Alvarado, on Monday, Oct. 20.

Unwavering dedication to teaching

An obituary described Spillers as someone with a vibrant spirit, endless compassion and dedicated to teaching.

“Chelsea was a beacon of light in all our lives, radiating joy, kindness, and an unwavering love for her family,” according to the obituary.

“Chelsea was not just a high school teacher; she was a mentor, a role model, and a guiding light to countless students whom she taught throughout her five-year career in education. Her passion for her work was evident to all who knew her,” according to the obituary. “Chelsea’s pride at earning her teaching certificate was only surpassed by the love she held for her students.”

Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 23 de octubre de 2025, 7:00 p. m..