Alan Ashcroft was a teen living in Arizona when he would murder his mother Mary Collier, 38,
According to court documents Alan Ashcroft would call 911 and told the operator that his mother had been kidnapped while the two were out on a walk
What Alan Ashcroft did not know is that someone had found the body of Mary Collier around the same time. After a conversation with officers Alan was taken into custody
Alan Ashcroft would eventually plead guilty and was sentenced to life in prison with a chance of parole after twenty five years
Alan Ashcroft Case
A man has pleaded guilty to the 2024 murder of his mother in San Tan Valley, accepting a life sentence with a guaranteed 25 years before parole considerations.
The body of a woman, later identified as Mary Collier, 38, was found in a farm field on Oct. 30, 2024. Blood covered her mouth and a knife lay nearby. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office was called and responded to the location in the Skyline Ranch neighborhood.
Dispatch received another call from a young man, Alan Ashcroft, 19, who reported that his mother had been kidnapped. He reportedly told dispatchers that he and his mother had gone out for a walk when she was kidnapped. Upon being asked to hand the phone to one of his brothers, and from further subsequent investigation, Ashcroft was identified as Collier’s son and was booked as a suspect in the murder.
Ashcroft’s brother had reportedly told the dispatcher that Ashcroft and Collier had gone out for a walk earlier that morning and that Ashcroft had returned alone “shaken and had blood on him,” according to the police report.
On Feb. 10, Ashcroft pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Collier’s killing, stipulating to a guaranteed 25-year sentence to life until any release is to be considered. The stipulation in the plea differs from an alternative that would not have allowed any possibility for parole. Ashcroft’s sentencing is scheduled for April 10.
More is sure to be revealed about Ashcroft’s background and mental acuity in a presentencing report but, from initial police records, he and Collier had been engaged in ongoing arguments. The night prior, Ashcroft’s brother had told police, he had told her he hated her. Ashcroft’s journal was recovered from the residence and inside it he had written threats to his mother.
During an interview with police, Ashcroft said he had planned to kill her. Before their walk, which they had decided to go on to discuss their conflicts, Ashcroft had put a kitchen knife in his bag.
Through a GoFundMe fundraiser, the family raised more than $15,000 for Collier’s funeral services.
Suspect in 2024 STV killing of mother pleads guilty | San Tan Valley Sentinel | pinalcentral.com
