Audrey Elaine Hudgins Mowrar dies in fatal Mathews County shooting
Fatal Mathews County shooting death of Audrey Elaine Hudgins Mowrar
Mathews County authorities have taken two individuals into custody following the discovery of two fatalities inside a residence engulfed in flames on Friday evening in rural Mathews County, Virginia.
The Mathews County Sheriff’s Office was alerted by a 911 call reporting a structure fire located on John Clayton Memorial Highway in the 17000 block, at 10:00 p.m. on Friday. Responding personnel encountered the blaze at the front of a home. First responders entered the burning structure and retrieved two individuals, who were subsequently pronounced deceased at the scene.
A homicide investigation has been initiated following the discovery of two bodies inside a house fire in Mathews County.
According to official statements, the identified victims were Chad Wayne Ashford, aged 54, and Audrey Elaine Hudgins Mowrar, aged 56. Both individuals sustained multiple gunshot wounds, leading investigators to conclude they were killed by gunfire.
Law enforcement officials reported that tips from the public, along with digital evidence and the use of license plate recognition technology, were instrumental in identifying the suspects. The accused individuals include a 33-year-old man from Mathews County and an 18-year-old woman from Gloucester County.
The Mathews County resident and the Gloucester County woman were apprehended in Newport News. When police attempted to stop their vehicle, both individuals fled on foot before being captured.
Carol Paul Cormier, the Mathews County suspect, faces charges including two counts of second-degree murder, two firearm-related murder charges, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, and one count of arson for destroying a residential property.
Lacey Ann Horsley, the 18-year-old woman, has been charged with two counts of accessory after the fact in relation to murder and one count of conspiracy to commit arson.
Both individuals are currently being held without the possibility of bond at the Middle Peninsula Regional Security Center.
Investigators revealed that the victims were murdered on Thursday, and the suspects returned to the scene on Friday with the intent to set the house ablaze in order to eliminate evidence.
Deputies indicated that the vehicle used in the commission of the crime was located with the help of the Newport News Police Department. Furthermore, evidence was discovered in Gloucester Point with the assistance of a K9 unit from the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office.
Individuals possessing additional information are encouraged to contact Mathews County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Rice at 804-725-7177 to assist with the ongoing investigation.
