On January 27, 2026, in a quiet suburban neighborhood in suburban Kansas City, Missouri, 41-year-old Ashley Stewart, a devoted mother of six children ranging in age from 5 to 19, was stabbed to death in her own garage by her ex-husband, Ryan Dodd, 43. The entire attack was captured in real time on the family’s home security cameras and livestreamed directly to the phone of Ashley’s current husband, Adam Stewart, who could only watch in powerless terror as the woman he loved was murdered before his eyes.
The sequence of events began shortly after 4:15 p.m. Ashley had just returned home from picking up her two youngest children from after-school activities. She pulled her minivan into the attached garage and began unloading grocery bags while the children ran inside to play. Adam, working remotely from his home office two floors above, was monitoring the garage feed on his phone as he often did when Ashley arrived home alone with the little ones. At 4:22 p.m., the motion-activated camera captured a figure approaching the still-open garage door from the side yard—Ryan Dodd, Ashley’s ex-husband whom she had divorced four years earlier after a contentious separation marked by repeated allegations of harassment and stalking.
Court records later revealed that Ashley had filed for and been granted a protection order against Dodd in 2023 after he repeatedly appeared uninvited at her workplace, sent threatening messages, and once followed her car for more than 20 miles. Despite the order, Dodd had violated it multiple times, resulting in two misdemeanor convictions for stalking and one for violation of a protective order. Each time he had received probation rather than jail time. Ashley had confided in close friends that she lived in constant fear of him showing up again, but she refused to let that fear dictate her life or keep her from raising her children.
At 4:23 p.m., Dodd stepped into the garage. Ashley’s body language on camera changed instantly—she dropped the grocery bag, backed away, and raised her hands defensively. Within seconds, Dodd lunged. Adam, watching the live feed, screamed Ashley’s name and immediately dialed 911. The call was logged at 4:24:12 p.m. On the recording, Adam can be heard shouting into the phone: “My wife is being attacked in our garage—send help now! He has a knife!” The dispatcher asked for the address; Adam recited it while his eyes stayed glued to the screen.
The attack lasted less than 90 seconds. Security footage shows Dodd stabbing Ashley repeatedly in the upper torso and neck while she tried to shield herself and back toward the door leading into the house. She managed to scream once—“Ryan, stop!”—before collapsing. Dodd stood over her for several moments, breathing heavily, then dropped the knife and fled on foot through the side yard. Adam bolted downstairs, still on the line with 911, and reached the garage just as Dodd disappeared around the corner. He dropped to his knees beside Ashley, attempting CPR while screaming for the children—who had heard the commotion and locked themselves in an upstairs bedroom—to stay upstairs and not come down.
Paramedics arrived at 4:31 p.m., seven minutes after Adam’s call. Despite aggressive resuscitation efforts, Ashley was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:48 p.m. from multiple stab wounds, including one that severed the carotid artery. Dodd was apprehended less than 40 minutes later, hiding in a drainage culvert two blocks away, still wearing blood-soaked clothing. He was arrested without resistance and charged with first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, aggravated stalking, and violation of a protective order. Prosecutors have announced they will seek life without parole.
The case has sent shockwaves through the community and reignited fierce debate about the enforcement of protective orders and the handling of stalking cases. Ashley’s family and friends have described her as “the strongest, most loving person you could ever meet,” a woman who worked full-time as a dental hygienist, volunteered at her children’s school, and always put her kids first. “She lived in fear of him for years,” said her older sister, Megan. “She did everything the system told her to do—filed reports, got the order, moved houses—and it still wasn’t enough.”
Adam Stewart has been left to care for six grieving children, the youngest of whom witnessed none of the attack but heard their mother’s final scream. He has spoken publicly only once, releasing a short statement through the family’s attorney: “I watched the woman I love die on my phone screen while I begged for help that came too late. There are no words for that kind of pain. I just want to protect our children and make sure this never happens to another family.”
The security footage—while graphic and traumatic—has been preserved as key evidence and will likely be used at trial. Prosecutors have indicated they intend to show portions in court to demonstrate the premeditated and brutal nature of the attack. Dodd’s public defender has requested a mental health evaluation, claiming his client has a history of untreated bipolar disorder and substance abuse, but prosecutors argue the long pattern of stalking and the deliberate nature of the attack point to calculated intent.
Ashley’s children have been surrounded by an outpouring of community support. A GoFundMe set up within hours of the news has raised over $320,000 to cover funeral costs, counseling, and future needs. Vigils have been held nightly outside the family home, with candles, teddy bears, and handwritten notes covering the front lawn. A memorial scholarship fund in Ashley’s name has been established at the local high school to support students pursuing careers in healthcare—her lifelong passion.
The tragedy has prompted renewed calls for legislative change in Missouri. Advocates are pushing for stricter penalties for repeated violations of protective orders, mandatory jail time instead of probation in stalking cases, and better-funded victim services. Ashley’s sister Megan has become a reluctant but determined voice: “If one good thing can come from this nightmare, let it be that no other woman has to die while the system watches.”
For the Stewart children, the loss is immeasurable. Their mother’s laughter, her bedtime stories, her unwavering love—gone in less than two minutes on a quiet January afternoon. For Adam, the guilt of being able to see but not physically stop the attack will likely linger forever. And for the wider community, Ashley Stewart’s murder serves as a brutal reminder: too often, the most dangerous person in a woman’s life is the one she once loved.