Deputy Sheriff Richard Edward Ashley, Sr.

Richard Edward Ashley, Sr.

Deputy Richard Ashley, Sergeant Anthony Futrell of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and Major Robert Kennedy of the Boone Police Department, were killed in an airplane accident while searching for marijuana crops in Chowan County at 3:30 pm.

Approximately 90 minutes into the second flight of the day, the Cessna 172-S experienced problems and crashed. Witnesses on the ground heard the engine sputter and saw the plane nose dive into the ground. There were no radio messages from the pilots indicating any problems.

Sergeant Futrell and Major Kennedy, both members of the Civil Air Patrol, were piloting the aircraft and acting as spotters. Deputy Ashley was directing ground units to locations spotted during the flight for further investigation.

Deputy Ashley had been employed with the Chowan County Sheriff's Office for only 16 months, and is survived by his wife and two teenage sons. He lived less then one mile from the crash site.