Chuck Gettin News Today

♪♪ >> reporter: ashleas mother and stepfather were out of town when the news began arriving in awful, jagged bits. first they heard about the fire, and monica prayed ashlea wasnt hurt. then ashleas father, tommy harris, called. >> i saw chuck gettin off the phone. and i saw him wipin his tears. and i knew that my prayer wasnt answered. >> reporter: chuck couldnt reach ashleas sister, so he left a message. >> and not two minutes later, my husband called me. and he said, "where are you? i need...

Welcome back. investigators immediately suspected the fire that raged through ashleas apartment was arson. but who would want her dead? enter one eagle-eyed ex-cop who tipped police to something he saw the morning of the fire. little did they know just how helpful his information would turn out to be, and as the crowd just beyond the police tape continued to swell, word was now spreading to ashleas family. once again, heres keith morrison. >> reporter: ashleas mother and stepfather were out of t...

>> reporter: melissa hill is ashleas eldest sister. >> she marched to the -- a beat of a different drum. she would wear just things that did not match. her hair was just -- didnt seem combed, you know. >> reporter: she was never the little princess type? >> no. no. >> reporter: there were three girls in the family. ashlea was the baby. their mom, monica, remembers how ashlea loved sports and music and art and bingo! >> it was our mom and daughter bonding time, and shed just get all giddy and exc...

>> reporter: ashleas mother and stepfather were out of town when the news began arriving in awful, jagged bits. first they heard about the fire, and monica prayed ashlea wasnt hurt. then ashleas father, tommy harris, called. >> i saw chuck gettin off the phone. and i saw him wipin his tears. and i knew that my prayer wasnt answered. >> reporter: chuck couldnt reach ashleas sister, so he left a message. >> and not two minutes later, my husband called me. and he said, "where are you? i need to com...

>> it was our mom and daughter bonding time, and shed just get all giddy and excited. >> reporter: by the time she got to high school, ashlea had lots of friends, even a boyfriend. and she was devoted to her two dads -- her father tommy and her stepfather, chuck, both retired police officers. didnt she talk at one point about getting into actually your line of work? >> she was interested in policing. i think that she took unique interest in it. >> reporter: but after high school she ended up wor...

>> reporter: ashleas mother and stepfather were out of town when the news began arriving in awful, jagged bits. first they heard about the fire, and monica prayed ashlea wasnt hurt. then ashleas father, tommy harris, called. >> i saw chuck gettin off the phone. and i saw him wipin his tears. and i knew that my prayer wasnt answered. >> reporter: chuck couldnt reach ashleas sister, so he left a message. >> and not two minutes later, my husband called me. and he said, "where are you? i need to com...

>> reporter: ashleas mother and stepfather were out of town when the news began arriving in awful, jagged bits. first they heard about the fire, and monica prayed ashlea wasnt hurt. then ashleas father, tommy harris, called. >> i saw chuck gettin off the phone. and i saw him wipin his tears. and i knew that my prayer wasnt answered. >> reporter: chuck couldnt reach ashleas sister, so he left a message. >> and not two minutes later, my husband called me. and he said, "where are you? i need to com...