Ryan Alexander was found guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in Henry County.

CLINTON, Mo. — A Henry County jury convicted Ryan Alexander of first-degree murder after prosecutors said he shot his wife, Ashton Alexander, when he found packed luggage near the front door of their Missouri home.

The verdict closed a case that began on Aug. 27, 2022, when Ashton Alexander, 28, was killed inside the couple’s home in Clinton. State and local prosecutors said the luggage was packed for Ashton and the couple’s one-year-old twin boys after an argument. The jury also found Ryan Alexander, 30, guilty of armed criminal action, a charge tied to the use of a gun in the killing.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced the verdict after a multi-day trial in Henry County. Prosecutors told jurors the couple had a difficult relationship marked by Ryan Alexander’s controlling behavior and his belief that his wife was having affairs. The evidence placed the fatal shooting after an argument, a trip to a liquor store and Alexander’s return to the home. “Today’s guilty verdict reflects the tireless work of our attorneys and team,” Hanaway said after the jury’s decision.

The case turned on what prosecutors said happened after Ryan Alexander came back from buying beer. According to the state’s account, he entered the home and saw luggage packed for Ashton Alexander and the twin boys near the front door. Prosecutors said he took a handgun and shot Ashton once in the head. After she fell to the floor, they said, he stood over her and fired the rest of the magazine into her head. Alexander later called 911 and claimed he acted in self-defense.

Jurors rejected that self-defense claim after hearing evidence over several days. Henry County Prosecuting Attorney LaChrisha Gray said the jury returned the verdict after a short deliberation. “We brought forward a strong case, and after a short deliberation, the jury returned a guilty verdict,” Gray said. She said her office worked with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office to secure the conviction for Ashton Alexander, her children and the community.

The trial was handled by Gray’s office with help from the state attorney general’s team. Investigator Heather Sabin and Chief Counsel Kevin Zoellner were named among those who prosecuted the case. The attorney general’s office described the prosecution as a partnership between state and county officials, a step it said can help local offices in complex or high-impact cases. The court record, as announced, did not include a public sentencing date at the time of the verdict.

Ashton Alexander, also identified in obituary records as Ashton Christine Schouten, was from Centerview and died in Clinton. She was born Nov. 4, 1993, in Sedalia and graduated from Crest Ridge High School. Her obituary said she had worked as a physical therapist since she was 16, was certified in the ReWalk Program and had an intense love of animals. She was survived by her twin sons, her parents, seven siblings and other relatives.

The shooting happened nearly four years before the jury’s decision. In that time, the case moved from the first police response to charges, trial preparation and a verdict on the top charge. Prosecutors said the sequence of events showed purpose and deliberation: an argument, a brief exit from the house, a return, the sight of the luggage and the repeated gunfire. They also highlighted Alexander’s 911 call, in which he claimed self-defense, as a claim the jury had to measure against the physical evidence and trial testimony.

The case was tried before Judge Brandon Baker, who presided over the proceedings. A formal sentencing hearing will be scheduled later. First-degree murder in Missouri carries the most serious punishment available under state homicide law, and armed criminal action adds a separate penalty tied to the use of a weapon. The exact sentence will be decided by the court after the required hearing and filings.

For Henry County officials, the verdict marked the end of the trial but not the end of the court process. Gray thanked jurors for their review of the evidence and law enforcement officers for their work on the investigation. Hanaway said her office would continue to assist local prosecutors in violent crime cases when asked. The public record released after the verdict did not identify all witnesses or describe every exhibit presented at trial.

Ryan Alexander remains convicted of first-degree murder and armed criminal action while the case moves toward sentencing. The next major step is a formal sentencing date before Judge Baker, which had not been announced when prosecutors released the verdict.

Author note: Last updated June 20, 2026.