Tanner Flores was an eighteen year old from Colorado when he would murder his ex girlfriend Ashley Doolittle
According to court documents Tanner Flores was upset that Ashley Doolittle had ended their relationship so he would convince the young woman to take a ride with him so they could discuss what happened. Somewhere during the ride Flores would fatally shoot Doolittle.
Tanner Flores would drive to his Grandparent’s ranch where he would bury the body of Ashley Doolittle
When Tanner Flores was arrested after the discovery of the body of Ashley Doolittle he would tell police the shooting was an accident however no one was buying that story
Tanner Flores would be convicted and sentenced to life in prison plus thirty two years
Tanner Flores Photos
Tanner Flores FAQ
What Is Tanner Flores Release Date
Tanner Flores is serving life in prison
Where Is Tanner Flores Now
Tanner Flores is currently incarcerated at the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility
Tanner Flores Case
As he waited for the judge to appear and deliver his sentence, Tanner Flores sat between his two defense attorneys with his head bowed.
On Wednesday, a jury convicted Flores of the murder and kidnapping of 18-year-old Ashley Doolittle. On Thursday, he officially learned he would spend the rest of his life in prison.
Eighth Judicial District Judge Gregory Lammons sentenced Flores to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 32 years in prison for the kidnapping charge. Flores was convicted of first-degree murder after deliberation, felony murder and second-degree kidnapping.
The brief sentencing hearing on Thursday brought to a close the most high-profile case of teenage domestic violence in the region in recent history.
“Tanner did more than murder Ashley, he destroyed two families,” said Ann Marie Doolittle, Ashley’s mother, as she read a prepared statement to the court.
Doolittle recalled her daughter’s empathetic nature and said that even when Ashley decided she didn’t want to date Flores anymore, she worried about his feelings. She described Ashley as a caring and goofy teenager who acted as a second mom to her little brother.
“No one can begin to imagine the pain and agony that one goes through when they lose a child,” Doolittle said during her tearful statement.
Flores quietly declined to address the court. His family members, who had been in the courtroom every day of the trial, sat behind him during the sentencing hearing but did not offer any statements to the court.
Doolittle expressed her sympathies to his assembled family members.
“Our hearts go out to the Flores family, as we know they are going through their own grief and heartache,” she said.
During her statement, she mourned the loss of memories she’ll never get to make with her daughter, like celebrating her college graduation, walking her down the aisle at her wedding or joyfully welcoming grandchildren.
Lammons offered only brief remarks before handing down the sentence.
“There’s nothing I can say that Ms. Doolittle hasn’t already said,” he said.
Flores killed Doolittle in June 2016 after she ended her romantic relationship with him. Doolittle, who was 18 when she died, was active in 4-H, an FFA leader and was posthumously named the 2017 Boulder County Fair and Rodeo Queen. She was planning to attend Colorado State University.
Her parents, Jeff and Ann Marie Doolittle, have since established the Ashley Doolittle Foundation — designed to preserve her legacy, raise awareness about teenage dating violence and honor her love of the family’s western heritage.
Bailiffs led Flores — who was dressed in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs — from the courtroom, after which the families filed into the hallway.
“Two people lost their lives today, and that’s a tragedy,” Doolittle family friend Rusty LeNeve said outside the courtroom.
