‘Strong possibility of foul play’ in Warren missing mother case

On January 9, 2025By Littum

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

Warren and Roseville police are investigating the disappearance of a Warren mother, last seen Jan. 2, whose car was found in Roseville, where police said they took a dumpster and other evidence from an apartment complex where her ex-boyfriend lives.

Police determined Tuesday that there was “a strong possibility of foul play involved in this incident,” which likely occurred in Roseville at Hampton Court Apartments, where the missing mother, Ashley Elkins, may have been, according to a joint release from the two departments on Wednesday. .

On Wednesday night, Roseville Police Lt. Scott Burley said there will be an arraignment Thursday morning related to the case in 39th District Court in Roseville, but he did not provide further details about who the person is or the charges.

A search warrant was executed at the apartments, where police said significant evidence, including forensics, was recovered and will be analyzed by the Michigan State Police.

Elkins’ car, a silver Chevrolet Malibu, was found in the area of 13 Mile and Little Mack in Roseville, about 4 miles from the apartment complex on Pinehurst, where police said the container was seized for investigative and evidence purposes.

Family reported the 30-year-old missing to Warren police Friday, according to the release. A release from Warren police on Tuesday said she left her southeast Warren home on the morning of Jan. 2 to run some errands, and investigators confirmed she was last in Roseville that afternoon.

Neither family nor law enforcement have been able to get in touch with her since. Elkins’ mother and sister asked questions Wednesday of her uncle, Maurice Morton, a Detroit attorney.

Morton told the Free Press Wednesday that Elkins left his home around 1 p.m. 8 or 8:30 on January 2nd to run some errands and never returned. He said her sons, aged 7 and 10, were watched by her younger sister while she was away.

He said Elkins works as a hairdresser out of her home and planned to start a new job this week at an online casino agency that recently hired her, but she hasn’t shown up.

Morton said Elkins’ mother became concerned and tried to reach Elkins, but didn’t get the answer she thought she would get. He said Elkins’ sister had a tracker on Elkins’ phone that traced it to the home of Elkins’ ex-boyfriend. He said it was strange when Elkins broke up with his ex-girlfriend in September.

Morton said the ex-boyfriend was “kind of stalking” a few days before Elkins disappeared. She refused to open the door for him and he eventually left, Morton said. He said her family was worried he might have abducted her. He said the ex-boyfriend apparently has not returned to his home since last week and did not drive or have a vehicle to the family’s knowledge.

Morton said Elkins’ phone went dead, adding that it went straight to voicemail with no FaceTime or social media response from her, which is “very uncharacteristic of her.”

“She’s a young mother who loves her children and loves her children. She would never react, especially to her mother,” Morton said.

He said the family did a mass social media campaign over the weekend in its search for Elkins. According to one the missing person’s flyerElkins was last seen in the 20900 block of Pinehurst driving a gray Chevrolet Malibu with no license plates.

Morton said the family met with Warren police, who he said began searching phone records, and a search warrant was executed at the ex-girlfriend’s home Tuesday. He said the police were there “for quite a few hours. They hauled away a trash can and they collected evidence in his apartment.”

Morton said they heard from a neighbor who lives where Elkins’ car was found that the vehicle had been sitting there for a number of days. He said the family is “very worried”.

“At this point we’re all anxious to hear what information they have about her disappearance,” he said.

Warren police said they immediately began an investigation after receiving the initial missing person’s report and that preliminary indications were that Elkins may have been in an apartment at Hampton Court Apartments where her ex-boyfriend lives.

Roseville police were contacted and responded to the scene with Warren investigators, but neither Elkins nor the ex-boyfriend were in the apartment, according to the joint release.

It said Warren police have executed nearly 20 search warrants, conducted extensive video surveillance and numerous interviews with friends and family, and examined numerous digital pieces of evidence in the case.

Roseville police have also dedicated numerous resources to the investigation, it said, and are now the lead police agency on the case, although both police departments are pursuing leads.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Roseville Police Detective Matthew Lesperance at 586-447-4505 or [email protected].

Contact Christina Hall: [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @challreporter.

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