Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Dateline NBC chronicles James Chambers‘ murder case and the investigation into Howard Adrian Ashleman, the killer. Ashleman and Chambers were co-workers but had an ongoing dispute when the latter went missing in August 2014. More than three years later, Ashleman surfaced as the killer and also revealed details about Chambers’ shooting death. However, the victim’s body was never found.
According to The Fayetteville Observer, Ashleman pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for shooting Chambers and despising his body. He received a prison sentence of at least 15 years, six months, but no more than 19 years, eight months. Per the 2021 report, Ashleman remains incarcerated at Columbus Correctional Institution in Whiteville.
The upcoming episode titled “The Bridge” explores Chambers’ murder by Ashleman in detail. It will also examine the years-long investigation and Ashleman’s confession about the incident that killed Chambers. The episode airs on the network this Sunday, January 21, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET.
How was James Chambers’ killer Howard Adrian Ashleman caught?
James Chambers’ killer Howard Adrian Ashleman claimed he was trying to scare the 28-year-old civilian construction worker when the incident occurred. The Fayetteville Observer reported that Ashleman was driving Chambers to a weekend job as a lifeguard at a lake out of town on August 15, 2014. The duo had an ongoing dispute and the tension escalated between them during the drive.
Ashleman allegedly stopped the truck, retrieved a gun from the truck bed, and fired it into the cab just to scare Chambers. But, the bullet struck the latter, killing him. Ashleman then moved to Florida while authorities and the victim’s family continued to search for him for the next three years.
In the meantime, Howard Adrian Ashleman, out of guilt, began confessing about the murder to a woman whom he later married. His wife then recorded one of their conversations about the incident before informing Florida police about it. They arrested him in connection with James Chambers’ murder on February 12, 2018, per CBS 17.
Eight days later, Ashleman pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He received at least 15 years and six months, but no more than 19 years, and eight months in prison.
Reportedly, as part of the plea deal, Ashleman agreed to lead detectives to Chambers’ remains. The killer admitted to investigators that initially he burned and buried the body. But later, he claimed to have dug it up, dismembered it, and put it in plastic garbage bags before disposing of the bags into the Cape Fear River. The remains were never found.
NBC Dateline’s episode on James Chambers’ murder by Howard Adrian Ashleman airs on January 21, 2024.
