Ashley Elkins landfill search: Police remain optimistic of finding remains after three days

Ashley Elkins, a 30-year-old mother of two, vanished about two weeks ago, and authorities are still looking for her remains.

• • 
    Police are searching the Lenox Township landfill for the remains of Ashley Elkins.
    
  • 
    Elkins, 30, disappeared on Jan. 2 while running errands.
    
  • 
    Her ex-boyfriend, De’Andre Booker, was charged in connection to her disappearance.
    

• 
  Police are searching the Lenox Township landfill for the remains of Ashley Elkins.
  
• 
  Elkins, 30, disappeared on Jan. 2 while running errands.
  
• 
  Her ex-boyfriend, De’Andre Booker, was charged in connection to her disappearance.
  

FOX 2, Lenox TWP, Mich.Macomb County police searched a dump for the remains of 30-year-old mother Ashley Elkins, who vanished in early January, for the third day in a row.

On the third day of their search, Roseville police went back to Lenox Township to pick through trash and debris at the Pine Tree Acres landfill.

Since January 2, Elkins, 30, has not been contacted.

Problems in the search for Ashley Elkins

To look for Elkins’ remains, law enforcement has closed off 6.5 acres of the landfill.

Although not directly involved in the inquiry, retired assistant chief Steve Dolunt of the Detroit Police Department has been keeping a close eye on it. It will be more difficult for everyone if the search continues longer, he said.

“They’re making an effort to be comprehensive. They are searching for evidence in addition to the body or potential body,” Dolunt stated. “It will be difficult, and the longer it takes, the more mentally taxing it will be on the investigation, the cops, and the family. The body will begin to degenerate, which makes it difficult.

Mitch Berlin, the chief of police in Roseville, stated on

“I m confident we got a good area the waste management coordinated a good area that we re looking,” Berlin stated.

What happened to Ashley Elkins?

The backstory

On January 2, Elkins texted her family to let them know she was on her way home after running errands. That was the last time they heard from her. But she never returned home.

As a mother of two, Elkins’ lack of communication with her loved ones, particularly her sons, is unique.

“She adores her children and family. Alexis Elkins, her sister, stated that she would never simply vanish for this long.

According to her family, Elkins has passed away.

Why police are searching a landfill

What they’re saying:

A dumpster was removed by police as evidence during their January 7 search of Booker’s flat.

Since Booker vanished, Elkins’ family has had suspicions about her.

Her uncle, Maurice Morton, stated, “Her mother has repeatedly stated that he threw her out with the trash.” “That’s disheartening.”

Highlighted

As they continue to look for any clues that could point them to Ashley Elkins, police are anticipated to return to a landfill in Macomb County on Wednesday. Since Monday, they have been excavating at Pine Tree Acres.

Booker’s flat was where Elkins’ phone last pinging.

No evidence found in the dumpster has been discussed by the police.

Ashley Elkins’ ex-boyfriend charged

We know:

Elkins’ ex was taken into custody in relation to the matter a week ago.

He is being jailed on suspicion of lying to police, although he has not been charged with murder.

Authorities claim that… He was accused of lying about his location.

Booker’s internet searches following Elkins’ disappearance, according to the prosecutor who appeared in court for Booker’s arraignment, indicate that he was preparing to leave Michigan.

Booker is charged with planning to flee Michigan while in Flint by researching out-of-state routes.

According to the prosecution, he also looked into whether blood can be traced, how to evade a polygraph, and what to do while on the run.

He apparently also searched for information on how to remove his Google search history.

These searches, according to the prosecution, indicate that Booker would run away if he were freed on bond. $250,000 cash or surety was the amount of his bond.

What is unknown to us:

The evidence against Booker and whether he would face charges for Elkins’ death have not been made public by the police.

Who is De’Andre Booker?

Booker, 32, resides in Roseville close to Gratiot and Frazho.

Based on the evidence that was given in court, Booker does not currently have a job.

After going missing in 2017, Booker, who had previously served in the US Army, was discharged with a less than honorable discharge. This occurred after he was accused of a number of crimes while in service the previous year, including larceny and possession of forged identification documents.

The Source: Ashley Elkins’ family and law enforcement provided information for this story.