What began as a house fire call late Friday night in Mathews County turned out to be something far more disturbing. Deputies responding to a blaze on the 17000 block of John Clayton Memorial Highway around 10:00 p.m. on July 11 discovered two bodies inside a burning home—and both had been shot.
The victims were identified as 54-year-old Chad Wayne Ashford and 56-year-old Audrey Elaine Hudgins Mowrar. Mathews County Fire and Rescue crews pulled them from the home, but both were already dead. Investigators later confirmed they died the day before, on July 10, from multiple gunshot wounds.
The Virginia State Police Criminal Investigations Division was brought in to process the scene. It didn’t take long before digital evidence, public tips, and license plate reader data from Flock Safety helped authorities zero in on a suspect vehicle that led them to Newport News.
Newport News Police attempted a traffic stop—but the suspects ran. After a brief foot chase, they were taken into custody. Arrested were Lacey Ann Horsley, 18, of Gloucester County, and Carol Paul Cormier Jr., 33, of Mathews County.
According to the sheriff’s office, Cormier and Horsley shot the victims on July 10, then returned the next night to torch the house in an attempt to destroy evidence. A vehicle tied to the crime was found with help from Newport News Police. A K9 from Gloucester County later helped uncover more evidence near Gloucester Point.
Charges filed:
Lacey Ann Horsley:
-
Accessory after the fact in both murders (§18.2-19)
-
Conspiracy to commit arson (§18.2-22/§18.2-77)
Carol Paul Cormier Jr.:
-
Two counts of second-degree murder (§18.2-32)
-
Two counts of firearm use in a felony (§18.2-53.1)
-
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (§18.2-308.2)
-
Arson of a residential structure (§18.2-77)
Both suspects are being held without bond at the Middle Peninsula Regional Security Center.
The investigation is still active, and anyone with information is urged to contact the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office