Dad pleads not guilty in stabbing deaths of baby, baby's mom (Bath, New York)

Dad BRYAN ASHLINE has pleaded not guilty in the fatal stabblings of his "estranged" girlfriend and their 3-month-old son. He has been charged with two counts of 2nd-degree murder. Not surprisingly, Daddy has a history of domestic violence and Mom had previously received an order of protection.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100629/NEWS01/100629003

Dad pleads not guilty to killing baby, baby's mom in Bath
Jennifer Kingsley • Elmira Star-Gazette • June 29, 2010

BATH — Bryan Ashline pleaded not guilty to the Father's Day killings of his estranged girlfriend and their infant son during a brief appearance yesterday afternoon in Bath Village Court.

Ashline, 23, of Watervliet, Albany County, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of Trieste R. Clayton, 25, and their 3-month-old son, Xavier Michael Ashline.

His case will now move to the grand jury process in Steuben County and he will not have to reappear in court until then, unless new charges are filed.

Ashline, whose court appearance lasted less than five minutes, made eye contact with one person during the hearing: Clayton's mother, Cynthia Watson.

"He never showed any kind of remorse whatsoever," Watson said. "He's a monster."

The bodies of Clayton and Xavier Michael were found the night of June 20 in the kitchen of Clayton's home on Mount View Road West in Bath.

Clayton had been stabbed in the back and neck, and her infant son had been stabbed in the chest, according to the felony complaint.

Ashline and Clayton were involved in a domestic incident in Watervliet in August 2009. Clayton was pregnant with Xavier at the time.

As a result, Ashline was charged with third-degree assault and Watervliet City Court issued an order of protection against him on behalf of Clayton.

Clayton, a 2003 graduate of Haverling High School in Bath and a 2006 graduate of Alfred University, returned to her hometown after that incident.

Xavier was born March 6 at Corning Hospital. He was named after Clayton's stepfather, Scott Xavier Watson, Scott Watson said.

After the killings, Ashline fled in a 2010 Chevrolet Impala sedan that was equipped with an OnStar vehicle security system, police said. He was taken into custody shortly after 5 a.m. June 21 when uniformed state troopers, guided by the tracking system, found Ashline asleep in the vehicle.

He continues to be held in the Steuben County Jail without bail.

Cynthia Watson vowed to attend every court appearance connected to the case.

"I want him to see my daughter's face and the face of my grandson at every hearing," she said. "I think it's unbelievable (that he pleaded not guilty). I saw what he did. ... I'm going to remind him constantly and send him pictures of them."


JKINGSLE@Gannett.com