Left: Ryan Alexander (Henry County Sheriff's Office). Right: Ashton Christine Schouten (Williams Funeral Chapel).
A Missouri man, realizing his wife had packed luggage for herself and their children to leave home, emptied his gun's magazine into her head.
Ryan Alexander, 30, was convicted by a Henry County jury of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of his wife, 28-year-old Ashton Schouten, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced. The case stretches back nearly four years.
On Aug. 27, 2022, the couple was arguing at their home. According to the attorney general, they "had a difficult relationship due to the defendant's controlling nature and belief that Ashton was engaging in extramarital affairs."
When the argument ended, Alexander left their home and bought beer at a liquor store before returning home "a short time later." He went back inside and "found that Ashton had packed and placed luggage for herself and their one-year-old twin boys near the front door."
Alexander "then took his handgun and shot Ashton once in the head," the attorney general added. Schouten fell to the floor, and her husband "stood over Ashton and unloaded the remainder of the magazine into her head."
He then called 911 and claimed he acted in self-defense.
"Today's guilty verdict reflects the tireless work of our attorneys and team," Hanaway said in her press release announcing the conviction. "My office remains steadfast in our commitment to accountability and public safety. We will continue to put violent criminals behind bars and keep Missouri communities safe."
The jury spent only a "short" time deliberating before finding Alexander guilty, according to Henry County Prosecuting Attorney LaChrisha Gray. Authorities announced that the defendant's sentencing "will be scheduled at a later date."
Schouten's obituary says she "worked as a physical therapist since the age of 16" and "had an intense love of animals." She is survived by her twin boys, her parents and seven siblings.
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