She Was Shot In Her Sleep By A Masked Intruder, Leaving Detectives Stumped Over A Mystery Boyfriend

On October 6, 2009, an intruder broke into 19-year-old Ashleigh Love's home while she was sleeping, then shot and killed her. The killer got away, and her family still hasn't received justice.

The day before she was murdered, Ashleigh worked the closing shift at Arby's on October 5. After work, her mom, Tammy, picked her up and brought her home.

Ashleigh watched a football game on TV with her family. When the game ended, she took a shower and went to bed. All in all, it was an ordinary evening.

But in the early morning hours of October 6, an intruder broke into the family's home in Milwaukee and headed to Ashleigh's room on the second floor.

According to the police, the intruder was carrying a shotgun and wore a bandana over his face. He pointed the shotgun at Ashleigh before pulling the trigger.

Tammy was asleep in her own room down the hall. She was startled awake and heard footsteps outside her door. When she opened the door, she saw a masked man wielding a weapon and thought they were being robbed.

She began shrieking. The man ran away and left the house through the side door.

Tammy and her husband went to check on Ashleigh. She did not respond when her name was called. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they realized that Ashleigh had been shot.

When the police arrived, they interrogated the family, searched the house, and collected evidence. Tammy described the intruder as a Hispanic male, around 20 years old, with an average height and build.

Facebook - pictured above is Ashleigh

He had short, spiky black hair. She believed that the intruder might have had an accomplice because she thought she saw another person running away.

Nothing was taken from the home, ruling out robbery as a motive. The police believe that Ashleigh was targeted. Search dogs were brought in to track down her killer. The dogs followed a scent through the backyard and along a nearby creek. After that, the scent trail was lost.

In December 2009, investigators announced that Ashleigh might have been seeing someone in secret before she was killed. She had met with a man multiple times over the summer. He may have worked in construction.

This man was described as white and in his early twenties at the time. He had a thin build and drove a blue pickup truck with a pinstripe rim.

Investigators have not been able to identify this man. Ashleigh's family and friends didn't think she would have a secret boyfriend, as she was too honest and open to deceive her loved ones.

Six months after her murder, Ashleigh's parents moved out of their family home. The reminder of Ashleigh's death was too painful for them to continue living there.

In 2012, Ashleigh's case went cold. There is currently a $12,000 reward for information leading to a conviction or an arrest. Anyone with information can contact the Milwaukee Police Department at 414-935-7360.

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