FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — A man from Virginia, accused of killing his wife and making it look like a suicide, was detained Tuesday in Flagler County after authorities followed his trail to a nearby hospital, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Ross Butler, 56, was detained on May 27 by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Intelligence and Fugitive Apprehension Units after collaborating with investigators from Virginia and local police.
Butler was wanted by the Chesterfield County Police in Virginia on charges such as first-degree murder, abduction, felony homicide, and strangulation related to the 2021 death of his wife, Ashlee Butler.
Investigators state that the case originated over four years ago, in December 2021, when Ashlee Butler’s death was first reported as a suicide.
However, authorities later found that the evidence and injuries at the scene did not match a suicide and suspected that the scene had been staged after the victim was strangled.
A Chesterfield County grand jury indicted Butler on murder and strangulation charges on May 18, 2026.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office stated that detectives from the Flagler Beach Police Department had earlier identified Butler as staying at a motel in Flagler Beach. Further investigation revealed that Butler had recently been admitted to AdventHealth Palm Coast.
Deputies arrested Butler outside the hospital shortly after his release on Tuesday.
After being taken into custody, Butler was transported to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office for questioning by detectives from Chesterfield County before being booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility.
Officials said he is being held without bond pending extradition to Virginia.
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