On April 2, 2026, the Office of the District Attorney General for Tennessee’s 13th Judicial District released a public statement concluding its investigation into the shooting death of 41-year-old Ashleigh E. McKinzie (DOB 4/27/1984) in DeKalb County on December 4, 2025. In the early morning hours, at approximately 4:49 a.m., deputies responded to reports of gunshots at the intersection of Smithville Highway and Captain’s Point Road.

They found McKinzie deceased in the roadway from apparent gunshot wounds, dressed in coveralls, with a loaded and cocked handgun beside her body along with a plastic skull mask and a backpack containing night-vision equipment, flashlights, a surveillance camera, a portable power station, and various keys. A 27-year-old man, Todd C. Stanton, was also present at the scene; he fully cooperated with investigators, and his handgun was found on the hood of his truck.

According to Stanton’s account, he was driving to work when he rounded a curve and saw a person (later identified as McKinzie) step into the roadway with arms raised, then approach his truck while holding a gun in her left hand. When she aimed the weapon at him, Stanton feared for his life, retrieved his own handgun from the truck console, and fired through the windshield.

After she fell and then rose again in front of his truck, appearing to reach for something, he fired two additional shots. Surveillance video from a nearby home captured the incident from a distance, showing McKinzie stepping into the road with hands raised and an object in one hand, approaching the stopped truck, and then falling to the ground as the driver later exited his vehicle.

McKinzie, a sociology professor at Middle Tennessee State University, lived across the highway from the scene. Her current boyfriend told investigators that she had become increasingly paranoid in recent weeks, believing her ex-boyfriend was stalking and harassing her. She had purchased extra security cameras, night-vision gear, and a .380-caliber handgun out of fear, and on the night of the incident she was wandering outside trying to investigate noises she thought were caused by her ex.

Court records showed she had unsuccessfully sought an order of protection against him. However, the investigation found no evidence that the ex-boyfriend was stalking her, breaking into her home, or present that night. Interviews with friends and prior police responses to her home revealed a pattern of paranoia, heavy drug use (including cocaine, methamphetamine, and Adderall), sleep deprivation, and erratic behavior. Toxicology results from the autopsy confirmed toxic levels of methamphetamine and amphetamine in her system.

After reviewing all evidence, including the autopsy, toxicology report (received April 1, 2026), witness statements, text messages, video, and law enforcement records, District Attorney General Bryant C. Dunaway announced that the office is declining to prosecute Todd Stanton.

The investigation determined that Stanton reasonably feared imminent danger when McKinzie approached his truck armed and aiming a gun at him, and that his use of defensive deadly force was legally justified. The loss of life is described as tragic, but the case is now closed.