Ashley Whitton was 23 years old when she disappeared from Marietta, Georgia, in the early morning hours of September 13, 2013.
Nearly 13 years later, Ashley has never been found.
The Night Ashley Disappeared
By the end of August 2013, Ashley and her boyfriend, Ashley Christopher “Red” Caudle, were living with Caudle’s daughter in a home in Powder Springs, Georgia.
On the night of September 12, Ashley and Caudle went to the home of their friend, Stephen Weinstein. They used dr.ugs, and shortly after midnight, Ashley and Caudle borrowed a truck and drove to the Walmart Supercenter on Cobb Parkway/U.S. Route 41 in Marietta.
They arrived at approximately 1:00 a.m. on September 13.
Ashley had previously worked at the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) across the highway from Walmart. She had been fired approximately a month earlier after being caught stealing, although she occasionally returned to the restaurant to visit.
Inside Walmart, Ashley and Caudle spent approximately an hour shopping.
Surveillance footage showed the couple walking through the store with a shopping cart. Ashley appeared to be under the influence and was in almost constant motion, repeatedly taking clothing from shelves and putting it back.
Loss prevention employees eventually suspected that Ashley was concealing clothing she intended to steal. She had reportedly stolen from that Walmart before.
Caudle selected clothes for his daughter and a portable speaker.
At approximately 2:00 a.m., Ashley reportedly wanted to continue their trip, but Caudle said he needed to be somewhere else.
According to Caudle’s account, Ashley became angry but headed toward the registers.
Caudle paid for his purchases with cash from a large roll of money he was carrying. Ashley abandoned the cart, and the two began walking toward the exit.
As Ashley was leaving the store, two Walmart loss prevention employees confronted her. They suspected her of shoplifting approximately $20 worth of clothing.
One employee grabbed the strap of Ashley’s handbag in an attempt to detain her.
Ashley let go of her purse.
She kicked off the flip-flops she was wearing.
And she ran.
Surveillance footage shows Ashley running out of the store and into the parking lot.
Caudle stopped at the doorway and faced forward. On the surveillance footage, Ashley appears to call toward him, but he did not respond.
Ashley ran past him.
Neither Caudle nor the Walmart employees pursued her.
At approximately 2:04 a.m., Ashley ran beyond the range of Walmart’s security cameras.
That was the last confirmed sighting of her.
She was barefoot.
She left her purse and shoes behind.
She has never been seen again.
What Happened Afterward?
Sometime after 2:00 a.m., Caudle went to the IHOP across the highway where Ashley had previously worked. He asked employees whether they had seen her.
No one had.
Ashley was very active on social media before she disappeared, but none of her accounts have been accessed since September 13, 2013.
She also left behind her six-year-old daughter.
Her family has said it was completely uncharacteristic of Ashley to simply disappear and leave her child behind.
Ashley’s mother, who cares for Ashley’s daughter, said Ashley had struggled with drug addiction and had made several unsuccessful attempts at rehabilitation.
Ashley was addicted to h3roin and methamph3tamine at the time she disappeared.
She was also on probation for burglary, which was scheduled to end in March 2014.
Ten months after Ashley disappeared, authorities searched the home where Caudle had been living and excavated the backyard.
The home actually belonged to Caudle’s mother.
Investigators said the search did not uncover any significant evidence.
Caudle was considered a person of interest in Ashley’s disappearance.
He has maintained that he loves Ashley, does not know what happened to her, and wants her found.
However, people who knew the couple described their relationship as volatile. They reportedly fought frequently and with such intensity that they were evicted from one residence.
Investigators also said Caudle made several false statements about his actions on the night Ashley disappeared.
Caudle was sentenced to 20 years for selling methamph3tamine.
Ashley is a white female with blonde hair and green eyes.
Her hair was white-blonde when she disappeared, although her natural hair color is brown and she may change her hair color.
She has several tattoos, including tattoos on her lower back, right shoulder blade, both hips, right buttock, and right foot. She also has Chinese symbols tattooed on the inside of her left wrist and a butterfly tattoo on her hip.
What Ashley Was Wearing
Ashley was last seen wearing:
- A tank top underneath a light-colored V-neck shirt with a design on the front
- Dark blue jeans
- A tan belt
- A dark-colored headband
- No shoes or socks
Her purse and shoes were left behind at Walmart.
Nearly 13 Years Later
Ashley Whitton disappeared after running barefoot from a Walmart parking lot in the middle of the night.
She was a mother.
She had a family waiting for her.
And despite searches, an investigation, and nearly 13 years passing, there is still no answer about what happened to her.
Her case remains unsolved, and foul play is suspected.
Ashley deserves to be found.
If you have information about Ashley Whitton’s disappearance, please contact the appropriate authorities.