A man suspected of murdering his wife was arrested in Flagler Beach on Wednesday, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has announced. 56-year-old Ross Butler is accused of committing the murder in December 2021.
The FCSO’s Criminal Intelligence Unit was contacted on Tuesday about a fugitive from Virginia. A warrant for Butler’s arrest was issued in Chesterfield County on charges of first degree murder, first degree murder via abduction, felony homicide, and strangulation.
Initial Investigation
An investigation by detectives from the Flagler Beach Police Department led to a suspected location: a local motel. Detectives worked with the FCSO Fugitive Apprehension Unit (FAU) to locate Butler, but discovered he was recently admitted to AdventHealth Palm Coast on Medical Memorial Parkway.
On Wednesday, Butler was released from the hospital. He was stopped outside by the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) and FAU. According to his arrest report, Butler voluntarily agreed to go to the Sheriff’s Office after being informed that detectives from Virginia were en route already.
Arresting Ross Butler
With Butler at the Bunnell FCSO headquarters, he was interviewed by detectives from Chesterfield County. The warrant for Butler’s arrest was confirmed by Virginia, and they informed the FCSO they’d be extraditing him back north.
Once Butler was informed about his warrant, he was arrested and taken to the county jail. Here, he was booked on one count of being a fugitive from justice.
Butler has multiple prior bookings in Flagler County for marijuana possession, driving under the influence, and driving with a suspended license among others. As of Thursday, he remains in custody at the county jail awaiting extradition to Virginia.
“This case is an excellent example of teamwork and serves as a warning to fugitives that you can’t avoid the long arm of the law, especially in Flagler County,” said Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly. “This guy thought he could get away with murder and live the rest of his life at the beach. Thanks to cooperation between our Criminal Intelligence Unit, Fugitive Apprehension Unit, the Chesterfield County Police Department, and the Flagler Beach Police Department, he’s hiding out no longer and will soon be headed back to Virginia to face justice.”
The Murder of Ashlee Butler
The murder Butler is suspected of occurred in December 2021. His wife, Ashlee Butler, was reported to have died of suicide. Detectives investigating the case determined the circumstances surrounding her death did not match with suicide. Instead, they came to the conclusion she was likely strangled to death.
It’s believed by law enforcement that Butler staged the scene of the crime to look like a suicide after killing her. On May 18, 2026 a grand jury in Chesterfield indicted Butler for first degree murder, first degree murder via abduction, felony homicide, and strangulation.
