Her death ruled a suicide. Not everyone agreed. I always was afraid he was going to hurt her. Always. Always. Did a fight that night lead to something much worse. I knew that ashley wouldnt take her own life. A troubled woman or a troubled marriage. That wound on the back of her head isnt where she could do it herself, tom. It is not. Oh, [ bleep ]. Suicide or murder . I didnt do this. I just knew that my whole world is never going to be the same again ever. Hello and welcome to dateline. It was december 31st. By all appearances ashley was in the mood to celebrate. A vibrant mother of three she had gathered her friends and family to ring in the new year. But as her guests began to count down to midnight who could have known they were also marking the last hour of Ashleys Young life . Heres Keith Morrison with after the party. What is so optimistic than a party on new years eve, as hopeful and full of anticipation as the clean slate, midnight brings . It was a small new Years Eve Party. Just family and friends. Disappointment is inevitable, of course, clean slates, no matter how ardently desire are messy all too soon. We noticed there was a lot of alcohol out. Still we celebrate possibilities and drown past sorrows and watch the clock that ticks toward our new beginning. And our ends. On december 31st, 2011 in west evans, colorado, ashley and tom falis, surrounded by friends and family, danced to the music that brought them together. Their wedding song. They decided to get up and dance in the middle of their living room everybody watching. I think i said, this is sweet. It was their party. Ashley and a toms. Shed invited her coworkers like andrea. It was casual but verbally told everyone at work, you should come. They worked together where she was a respiratory therapist. Crazy, nice. Crazy. Just full of energy. She was a happy person. She laughed a lot and joked. Their friendship was new and andrea had listened to her chatter about jobs and marriages and her three kids. The youngest of whom was born with hydrocephalus which causes lifethreatening fluid buildup in the brain. She talked about it a lot. Did she . But i didnt get the impression she felt burdened by it. That was the cards she was dealt. She embraced the challenge said ashleys mom and became a public advocate. She went to washington, d. C. And in the fall of 2011 to speak before congress for funding for hydrocephalus so she had a full plate. So did tom for that matter. He was a pretty good guy. Very intelligent. Reporter Jeff Rodriguez was toms boss at the county jail. They were corrections officers. He was a good employee and had a son sick so did miss more work than what most fellow officers liked. Reporter stressful draining thing caring for a sick child so maybe their new Years Eve Party was a way to hope for better times. And take a break too. Ashleys adoptive dad joel was at the party. There was dancing going on. Reporter ashley seemed to be having a fine time. She and tom seem to be getting on fine. They seemed to be getting along fine. Reporter thats when ashley and andrea went off into the kitchen, had a little party of their own. What were you drinking . Jungle juice and jello shots. Oh, my. Intended to have a good time. There was one unusual thing, though said andrea, ashley had just gone through something kind of awful. She found out that she had a miscarriage that day and i said, oh, im sorry, are you okay . Oh, yeah, its fine. That strike you as odd . No, i didnt think it was odd. Was she unhappy about the miscarriage. My impression was that she already has her beautiful family. It seemed like her life was already complete so i dont think that she was devastated that she had found out that she had a miscarriage. Reporter no tears, andrea said. Just a quick, casual mention and then the conversation moved on. Went on to talk about other things. Went on to other thing, probably got another jello shot. Jello shot. Reporter there were kisses and smiles and toasts. By 12 30 the party was over. I gave her a hug, told her bye. We talked about future plans. How did she seem . Happy. Reporter but, oh, how quickly the new years clean slate darkened. As an uncle prepared to leave ashley asked him for a bit of his marijuana to smoke later. Tom, the Sheriffs Department employee, was furious and reminded ashleys family that her employer required regular drug tests. Was it the alcohol that amped up the family screaming match . Whatever, ashleys parents had their own recollections. He walks by me and he says that he hated us all and wished we would all bleeping die and went into the bedroom and slammed the door. Ashley came out of the bathroom and was just, whats going on. Well, were going to leave. Hey, im having a Super Bowl Party in a couple of weeks. Dont forget about that. Reporter but ashleys parents were rattled. They drove away then pulled off to the side of the road to talk. Ashleys mom sent a text to tom. And im like, you know, theres kids in the house, calm down. Reporter which arrived as their young granddaughter was involved in quite another discussion with 911. Can you go open the door and let the officers in . Its open. Its open. The new year was less than an hour old and off to a very bad start. Coming up chaos, it was shocking. A frantic race to save a life. What happened in that house. I just knew that my whole world is never going to be the same again ever. When dateline continues. [ ] did you know you can shorten your cold with coldeeze® lozenges. Coldeeze® can shorten your cold by 42 . It releases zinc ions that some scientists believe inhibit cold viruses from replicating. Try coldeeze® the number one bestselling zinc lozenge. Introducing the future of fitness. Its every class you can imagine, live. Welcome back to the mirror. 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Reporter tom told the dispatcher she shot herself then put the phone down, holding her head, trying to stop the bleeding. So he had his 9yearold daughter pick up the phone. Honey, are you there . Yes. Okay, can you go open the door and let the officers in . Its open. Mommy got shot. Okay, okay, were going to help. Open the door. Reporter Brian Spencer was a county deputy back then to discover that the evans police had beaten him there. There were three ahead of me and more, siren, lights. Pretty fast response. Very fast. Reporter and this bit of news was going around fast too. This was a sheriffs employee, a jail employee. Reporter not that that should matter the effort was save Ashley Fallis life. This was recorded by a Police Body Camera and shows the paramedics arriving. Chaotic. The scene, very. Frantic, the officers located Ashley Fallis somewhere in the home. Reporter the local police took charge and asked Brian Spencer to watch the front of the property and thats when from his post on the front porch he saw tom. Thats him in the background in the white tshirt. He was pacing around in the front yard and front sidewalk area frantic, screaming. Screaming what, do you remember . I heard him say shes dead. A lot of mumbled stuff. He would put his hands up over his face screaming and crying. Reporter by this time ashleys parent has pulled off the road to talk and worry about the fight. When they heard the sirens, saw the flashing lights that way something automatically felt bad. I whipped a uturn. I was out running to the house. Were you able to see ashley . No, i could hear what was going on. I had all three kids and they were just crying and crying and screaming and im crying. It was just crazy. It was like a nightmare. I can see blood splatter on the wall. The master bedroom wall. What was it like . Chaos. It was shocking. Did you understand it was your daughter . Yes, i do recall just being hysterically upset and crying and thinking this cant be happening to my daughter. This cant be happening to us. But yet it was. Reporter inside she was alive but the wounds to her head were catastrophic. The Police Body Camera shows officers kneeling on the floor trying to stabilize her condition. Paramedics went in and made a decision to do what we call a load and go which means theyre not going to spend any time doing life support stuff. Reporter ashleys mom jenna huddled with her grandchildren in a neighboring bedroom. Listened to it all through a closed door. Any way to describe what its like for a mother to be in that situation . No. Your brain does funny things. I just knew that my whole world was never going to be the same again, ever. Reporter outside Brian Spencer watched tom pacing back and forth crying talking to himself. I noticed hes wearing a white tshirt and hes covered i believe it was on his left side in a large amount of blood. Reporter it was odd brian thought that the Evans Police Officers didnt take toms clothes or bag his hands for gunshot residue. He still had evidence on him and he needed to be preserved. He needed to be controlled. He needed to be processed. Clothing removed, everything. Reporter but thats not what happened. Not at all. And soon after ashley was rushed off to the er, tom got in the back of his squad car and was driven away but surprisingly not to the hospital. Coming up, tom tells his story. I heard her gun cock. I looked up. What are you doing . Reporter but police dont seem to believe it. The wound on the back of her head isnt where she could do it herself, tom. Oh, [ bleep ]. When dateline continues. Und the corner . Or could it play out differently . I wanted to help protect myself. My doctor recommended eliquis. 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Do i use a toothpaste that or one thats good for my teeth . Could be your moment. Now i dont have to choose. Crest 3d white. It removes up to 95 of surface stains. And strengthens enamel. From the number one toothpaste brand in america. Crest. In the first cold, dark hours of 2012, Ashley Fallis parents followed an ambulance to the hospital and caught up to her in the icu. We walked in to her bleeding out of everywhere. There wasnt really any hope. They could see that. She was going to die. I just sat down and held her hand. But tom wasnt there to hold her hand. Tom was at the evans Police Station answering questions. I dont know whats going on. I have no idea and thats why im asking to speak with you. Reporter it was 2 00 a. M. And tom was still wearing bloodstained clothes, the ones that a sheriffs deputy should have already been bagged as evidence. How was your relationship with your wife . Really good. Reporter but said tom ashley was devastated when she miscarried the very day of her new years party. It was hard for ashley, it was hard for me, but i didnt think that still, at the party itself she seemed all right. They got on fine until the argument about the marijuana. Tom admitted he was furious at ashleys family, said he was trying to protect her and they werent. I told ashley, you dont need to get high. I was like if whatever happened today, the miscarriage, i said it happened. Its like, you know what, [ bleep ] your mom, [ bleep ], everybody. Reporter so there was no love lost between tom and ashleys parents, that was clear and tom admitted he and ashley kept arguing as they got ready for bed and turned around and went to the closet and it was all over. The wire was in the closet. I heard her gun cock. I was like what are you doing before i even had a chance to finish the sentence or close the door. There was smoke. I hear i heard it and there was just smoke. I just ran over to her and i just grabbed her head. Reporter tom told detectives that sadly he had been worried of just this sort of thing for more than a year because ashley had threatened suicide before. What was she saying she wanted to do to herself . She wants to end it. You and the kids would be better off without me. And so she just said those words but never acted on anything. No. And so how long never once. Never once has she grabbed her gun, loaded it and has she ever made this type of gesture whatsoever. Reporter by this time while the doctors tried to save ashley, tom had been answering questions for hours. I have to ask these questions and i have to understand i know, but the problem is, is that ive been here since frickin what 2 00 and its 5 00 and i dont know whats going on with my wife. Reporter but then the detective noticed Something Else about tom. Scratch mark on your chest is what . You have like a long red oh, probably because ive been doing this all frickin night. This one goes straight across here. Oh, i dont know. Its just me it isnt i just had to ask. Reporter the detective left the room and spoke with ashleys parents who had arrived with the purpose of telling officers just one thing. Their daughter did not shoot herself. We had just seen her seven minutes before this. She was completely fine. You know, she wouldnt do anything like this. She was in good spirits when they left, they said. She was already planning her next party. But tom, he had always had an awful temper, they said. I always was afraid he was going to hurt her. Always. Always. Why . What about him . His temper. You cant go from zero to 100 and think clearly. I think that he was just in a fit of rage and he shot her. Reporter armed with that new information the detective went back to talk to tom and zeroed in on those scratches. Officer has given him something clean to wear so so they collect his bloody clothing. You have scratches on your body. This is a shaved chest. Do you know how bad this hurt and itches so when im sitting there i do this all frickin day. This is actually her blood. It comes off. See . Oh, my gosh its coming off. Its her frickin blood thats actually a scratch, okay. Thats a scratch. Reporter still the detective pressed him. He had motive and opportunity, she said. So when you went upstairs you were arguing with her and you know you were arguing with her. Reporter she was also reluctant to believe the shooting happened so quickly, no threats or warnings or hesitation. She went from saying im going to do what i want to just pulling yeah. Yeah. She did. Im not lying to you. Reporter and when the detective gave a description about the gunshot wound, a description that turned out to be inaccurate, that really set tom off. That wound on the back of her head isnt where she could do it herself, tom. It is not. Oh, [ bleep ]. It is not. [ bleep ]. [ bleep ]. Reporter then quite suddenly in the middle of it all completely out of nowhere the detective made an abrupt declaration. I have to let you know your wife did not make it. Your wife did not make it. She was breathing when i was holding her. She was breathing. They told me she was breathing when she left out. Ashley died while tom was in police custody. I didnt shoot my wife. I didnt shoot the mother of my kids. I didnt shoot the person who i wanted to have another one with. Reporter what would the Police Believe . Toms story that the shooting was a suicide or ashleys parents story that he shot their daughter in a fit of rage. Coming up, ashleys family is outraged by the investigations final report. It was incomplete. It was inconsistent. No followup. It was unbelievable. When dateline continues. 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