LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – In 2016, Ashley Metz, an up-and-coming model, and her boyfriend, Brouklynn Hill, both of Lafayette, were brutally murdered.
Their bodies were found in separate burned vehicles in Scott and Carencro. Both Metz and Hill had been shot and later set on fire in their cars. They had been dating for only three months.
Ashley’s mother, Carla Dean, has been living this nightmare ever since. Ongoing trial proceedings are difficult for Dean, who’s having to relive the horrific details of her daughter’s death. Joshua Willis and Joseph Sylvester, both of Lafayette, were indicted in 2016 on two counts of first-degree murder. Both men could face life in prison or the death penalty if convicted on the charges. Dean says Sylvester has since accepted a plea bargain with a 50-year prison term to testify against Willis. Dean shares her life since her daughter’s murder, the importance of family and community support, and her efforts to reach parents who have been impacted by senseless violence.