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You are here: Home / Solved / Guilty verdict in Guitron murder

Guilty verdict in Guitron murder

July 3, 2012 By Alice

Ryan GuitronThe trial against Vencil Ash III in the cold case of Ryan Guitron started June 25 and wrapped up on July 2 with closing arguments. The jury deliberated for six hours. Ash was found guilty of murder in the first-degree.

“Ash is scheduled to appear again in Kimball County Court on Aug. 21 for sentencing in the case. Kelly Meehan, who was also charged with first-degree murder, is currently awaiting trial with a status hearing in the case scheduled in August.”

Ryan’s remains were found in a woodpile on an abandoned farmstead in rural Kimball County, Neb. Ryan Guitron, an oil field worker, was last seen in Fort Collins about midnight Oct. 14, 2003. He was supposed to go to his girlfriend’s Fort Collins home, but never arrived.

Authorities think Ryan was executed after being taken to the farmstead. A single gunshot wound to the head was discovered. Ryan was eventually identified by the use of dental records.

Meehan has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors charged Meehan, who is also known by the aliases Kelly L. Ash and Kelly L. Meehan-Ash, with aiding and abetting first-degree murder, a Class IA felony.

According to Kimball County court documents, Ash had previously been questioned in connection with Ryan’s disappearance after he had been arrested on a warrant in October 2003. He had been in possession of items of Guitron’s and had even been connected to a sale of a vehicle owned by Guitron.

According to Kimball County court records, during separate interviews, Ash and Meehan told investigators different stories about the events that lead to Guitron’s death. Ash told police that he had killed Guitron in self-defense, saying that Guitron had threatened him with a rifle. Court documents state that Meehan told authorities that Ash had planned to kill Guitron for days prior to the murder. She said that Ash had found Guitron to be in possession of a bra and underwear of hers and indicated he would kill the man.

She initially denied being involved in the murder, but later admitted to authorities that she had hid the weapon used in the homicide en route to Bushnell and put it in a spot for Ash to retrieve before shooting Ryan.

Court documents place the date of Ryan’s death as sometime between Oct. 15, 2003, the last day he was seen by others alive, and Oct. 18, 2003, the date that Ash had been arrested in Kersey, CO.

UPDATE: Ash will be sentenced on Aug 21, 2012. Meehan will be sentenced on Aug 22 at 830am.

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Filed Under: Solved Tagged With: Autopsy, Dental Records, DNA, Gun Fire, Identification, Missing Person, Nebraska, Ryan Eugene Guitron

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Author Notes

On this website, I write about old, unsolved cases. Most are from the pre-DNA era and are in need of renewed media attention. I only do research and leave the active investigation of these cases to the professionals.

My posts are about homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to these cases.

On book reviews: I only review select works of true crime, crime fiction, and historical fiction/mysteries. The stories have to fit my website's theme and research. It remains my prerogative to not review a book.

My database has over 325 cases listed by the victim’s last name. You will find a brief description there as well. The database will always be free to the public to use. You cannot buy ad space on my website, ever.

All writing suggestions that come in by email are added to my to-do list in the order in which they were received. Please be patient. My to-do list is very long but no case gets dropped and I will get back in touch.

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Alice de Sturler

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Copyright: Please add a link back if you use my work. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. If you need help with this, just contact me. Thank you, Alice de Sturler

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