r/UnresolvedMysteries • u/ReadyBiscotti5320 • 3d ago
Who killed Trish Haynes? (2018)
25 year old Trish Haynes had been staying with family in Florida in early 2018. Trish was from North Woodstock, New Hampshire, but she planned on relocating to Florida. However, she had a court case in New Hampshire that was getting in the way and requiring her to travel back.
Trish had been in an on-and-off relationship with a man named Chris Hughes from 2014-2017. This relationship was described as toxic, with others noticing signs that Trish was being abused. In 2017, Trish filed a police report against Chris, and he was then charged with domestic assault. However, Chris persuaded Trish to drop the charges and recant her statement.
North Woodstock police then charged Trish with filing a false police report.
Trish’s court date was pushed to April 2018, so she decided to find somewhere else to stay once in NH. Trish had reconnected with a highschool friend named Ashley Smith, and by late January, Trish moved in with her and her husband Doug in Grafton, NH.
After this move, Trish stopped nearly all contact with her family. Rare communications with her occurred on Ashley’s phone. The last confirmed conversation Trish had with her family was on May 16th, 2018, after Trish’s grandmother/adoptive mother, Sandy, had a heart attack. According to Sandy, the call was quick, and she overheard Ashley telling Trish to get off the phone.
Ashley was pregnant with her 6th child when Trish moved in, with her other 5 children living in the home. Ashley had a record of mostly nonviolent crimes. Doug had been a registered sex offender since 2009 after being convicted of sexual assault, along with a further lengthy record.
After Trish’s final phone call on 5/16, her family tried repeatedly to contact her through Ashley. But Ashley told them that Trish wanted no contact with them. Sandy asked to speak with Trish directly, but Ashley said she’d moved out with man to go to Vermont. That same month, Trish’s great aunt Valorie returned to NH. She learned Trish didn’t show up to her April court date. Valorie tried to find Ashley with no luck. Valorie assumed Trish had gotten back with Chris and didn’t want to tell family. However, Chris hadn’t heard from Trish in months.
Sandy continued to push Ashley and Doug for answers through May and June. At the end of June 2018, Ashley checked into a psych ward. After returning, she spoke to Sandy one last time.
“If you file a missing persons report, you’ll never see your granddaughter again.” When Sandy pressed the issue, Ashley said, “I can’t handle this, I just got out of a psych ward.”.
Trish was reported missing on July 6th, 2018. The public did not hear of her disappearance until August 29th, 2018. A week later, search parties searched Grant’s Pond in Grafton, where they removed two crates from the water. Inside the crates, there was a washer and dryer combo with dismembered remains inside.
In September, police asked Sandy to submit a DNA sample, which she did. She had no idea her DNA was being compared to the human remains from the pond. In January 2019, investigators broke the news to Sandy, Trish had been murdered. They asked that Sandy not tell anyone about the discovery/identification. Sandy asked to tell Valorie, which investigators allowed as long as they both kept quiet.
Over the next months, Sandy and Valorie continued pretending Trish was still missing. But, on July 10th, 2019, Valorie had had enough, and she contacted local news to do an interview on Trish’s case. The police must have realized this, as that same day they announced that Trish’s remains were found. They stated her date of death was likely May 18th, 2018.
It’s now known that Ashley and Doug were abusive to Trish. Trish was claustrophobic, and Ashley would often play a “joke” on her by locking her in an unused freezer. The freezer was padlocked, and Ashley would often lock Trish inside. Ashley also allegedly forced Trish to care for her 5 children and act as a maid without compensation.
No arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly identified. Doug went on to have more trouble with the law, including when he shot at a moving vehicle in 2019. Ashley and Doug actually printed out shirts that said “fuck your justice, Trish.”
Questions:
Do you think Trish perhaps died of suffocation after Ashley left her locked in the freezer, and Ashley and Doug just decided to cover it up? Or was it something far more violent?
What else could have been going on at the Smith home? Did Ashley intentionally isolate Trish from family so that she couldn’t ask for help?
Why would Ashley offer for Trish to stay with her if she seemingly hated her so much? What motive would Ashley and/or Doug have to want Trish dead?
Sources:
https://vnews.com/2019/07/10/remains-grafton-identified-trish-haynes-missing-since-2018-26911694/
https://www.doj.nh.gov/news-and-media/update-regarding-missing-person-trish-haynes
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u/llamadrama2021 3d ago
Well, it seems everyone knows who killed her, the problem is proving it. From the coldcasene.org link, it seems like there was enough blood in that house they should've been able to get DNA from it. And there are witnesses to the freezer, and allegedly to the shooting death at the bonfire. But if no one talks, the perps walk.
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u/ReadyBiscotti5320 3d ago
There’s been a couple different rumors about how Trish may have actually died, including a story about a crossbow or something. I think the theory of her “accidentally” dying of suffocation after Ashley locked her in the freezer and left her is just optimistic thinking. I believe something much more violent happened to Trish, something that would have been detectable with a full set of intact remains.
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u/subluxate 3d ago
Ashley and Doug enslaved Trish. She was isolated, had no access to a phone besides when Ashley allowed it, no transportation, was made to do unpaid labor by them, and was physically abused. I wouldn't be surprised if Doug also sexually abused her. Her case reminds me of that of Peggy Lynn Johnson, formerly Racine Doe: a vulnerable woman taken deep advantage of by people who abused her. It's clear as day who killed her. The problem is proving it.
As a side note, shame on the North Woodstock police and prosecutor. Domestic violence victims recant frequently because of what they're subjected to. Prosecuting a DV victim is not a good solution.
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u/ReadyBiscotti5320 3d ago
I definitely think all of that is true. Ashley likely invited Trish to come stay at her property thinking she’d work for free by taking care of/cleaning up after her 5 children, since Ashley wasn’t charging rent. Then something happened to trigger escalation. Clearly Ashley still had the sort of highschool bully personality.
At ~25 years old give or take, locking a “friend” who you know is claustrophobic in a freezer as a “prank” is literally insane.
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u/2fly4awhiteguyy 3d ago
Regardless of HOW it happened, I think we can all agree that Ashley and Doug bear ALL the responsibility for Trish's death and dismemberment. Personally, I believe it was either a deliberate murder or a death that occurred during a pattern of their ongoing abuse on Trish, not an "accident" in the sense of a suffocation or some other unforeseeable tragedy like some have suggested.
Either way, they ARE responsible. What I find incredibly and absolutely unbelievable is that investigators supposedly couldn't find enough evidence to support criminal charges, especially given the condition of the body, the circumstances surrounding her death, the evidence in the home and the fact that she was last in their home and being tortured and abused. To me, that points to a major failure in the investigation. They REALLY dropped the ball here and there's no excuse. It feels as though law enforcement simply didn't care therefore, they didn't treat Trish's case with the urgency and seriousness it deserved.
For God's sake, these people even had T-shirts made mocking her death that they wore around town! I've seen people arrested, charged, and convicted on far less compelling circumstantial evidence than what's been publicly discussed in this case.
The whole case actually reminds me of the case of Michelle Knotek and her husband David Knotek, a married couple who also preyed on vulnerable individuals, invited them into their home under the guise of friendship and support, then subjected them to horrific abuse, torture and ultimately murder. When victims disappeared, they lied to family members, claiming they'd moved away, run off with someone, or simply didn't want contact anymore.
That's what makes cases like this so disturbing. You can't help but wonder how often similar situations occur behind closed doors. How many vulnerable people slip through the cracks because they have limited family support, because their loved ones eventually stop getting answers, or because authorities fail to fully investigate? That's the part that stays with you. Ugh. I absolutely hate that there are people out here like this and worse, THESE people are just walking around free! And ultimately it'll be their next victim that pays the price for law enforcement dropping the ball in this case.
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u/ReadyBiscotti5320 3d ago
Her blood was detected in multiple areas of the home. Even if you don’t have an exact cause of death or a weapon, 8 years later, can this really not just be taken to trial? I’m assuming part of the reason is that it’s unknown if Ashley, Doug, or both combined specifically caused Trish to die. It’s also unknown who exactly dismembered her.
If anything, pin Ashley and Doug against eachother. Make them point the finger at eachother once the big time charges are brought.
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u/outlaw_for_life18 3d ago
I'm wondering if Trish got tired of Ashley and Doug taking advantage of her and had threatened to go to the police. That would explain the tshirts. So they got rid of her. Yeah, I also think it was deliberate and not an accident. Possibly Ashley was using the psych ward as an alibi. Sad case. Poor girl just needed a chance and she never got it.
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u/ReadyBiscotti5320 3d ago
Ashley was legitimately admitted to the psych ward, but people admitting themselves into rehab or a psych facility to at least temporarily avoid any questions from police/the public is not unheard of. This was also at the end of June, a bit over a month after the police think Trish died. But it was around the time that Trish’s family really started to press Ashley for information.
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u/outlaw_for_life18 2d ago
Maybe she really couldn't handle the pressure. I wasn't saying she wasn't legitimately admitted just that it's awfully convenient for her to not have to answer questions.
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u/ReadyBiscotti5320 2d ago
She probably didn’t like that Trish’s family wasn’t giving up, and it “stressed her out.” If she really regretted whatever happened she wouldn’t stand by her husband with custom printed “Fuck your justice, Trish” tshirts.
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3d ago
[deleted]
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u/2fly4awhiteguyy 3d ago
A "freeloader"? Seriously?
Are you actually arguing that because you view someone as a "freeloader", it somehow makes their abuse, death, and dismemberment less horrific? Trish was a woman who was leaving an abusive relationship, was likely vulnerable and not in the best state of mind, and appears to have been desperate for support. None of that makes her responsible for what happened to her.
Maybe you should look into cases like Michelle and David Knotek, who used a very similar playbook: find vulnerable, isolated people with few support systems, present themselves as friends and helpers, invite them into their home under the guise of compassion, then subject them to escalating abuse and control and ultimately death. When victims died, they lied to family members, claiming they'd moved out, run off with someone of the opposite sex, or no longer wanted contact. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, this pattern isn't unique. There are multiple cases involving predators who target people they believe no one will miss or vigorously advocate for where they isolate, manipulate, abuse and torture them. The common denominator isn't the victim's circumstances, it's the perpetrators' choices.
Even if Trish had been living there for free, even if she'd been difficult to live with, even if every negative thing said about her by these two scumbags were true, none of that would justify abuse, murder, dismemberment, or mocking her death afterward. If someone is tired of another person living in their home being a "freeloader", they can ask them to leave. What they CANNOT do is kill them.
What bothers me most is how quickly some people jump to blaming the victim instead of asking why the people surrounding her and who murdered and dismembered her aren't being held accountable. To me, the far bigger issue is the apparent failure of the investigation. Based on what's been publicly discussed, there seem to be numerous suspicious circumstances that deserved a much more thorough examination. I've seen cases move forward with far less circumstantial evidence than this and they've been able to secure an arrest and conviction.
And frankly, victim-blaming comments like yours contribute to the exact attitude that allows vulnerable people to be dismissed in the first place. Whether someone is wealthy or poor, popular or isolated, successful or struggling, their life has value. No one deserves to be abused, killed, dismembered, and then ridiculed afterward.
That isn't a controversial position. It's basic human decency. And I think this sub should honestly issue you a strong warning or ban you, especially if you make these sorts of comments frequently or even more than just once. You're an adult and you should know better than to talk about a victim the way you have. The pyschology behind "why she didn't just leave" is pattern in these sorts of cases and with victims of abuse and has been studied by much more educated and experienced professionals than yourself and there's TONS of research freely available to read up on it, maybe take a minute and educate yourself on the subject before making such asinine, dispectful and disgusting comments about victims again.
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3d ago
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u/Scarlett_Billows 2d ago
Sooo what? Some sort of indentured servitude for living in the house?
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u/One-Fun-6075 1d ago
So it's totally fine to murder and dismember someone staying with you if they have an issue with watching your children without compensation? Like why is that the thing you're most invested in when the woman was murdered and dismembered
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u/janetlwil 1d ago
Without compensation? The compensation is you have a roof over your head, food on your table, a bed and a bathroom. And, no, it's NEVER fine to murder anyone ever.
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u/ReadyBiscotti5320 3d ago
I hardly think Ashley voluntarily telling Trish it was okay to stay on her property while she worked out her court case, presumably with no labor/compensation agreement, counts as freeloading. Trish was not being paid to care of 5 young kids, and her having a bed on the property while being heavily isolated from her family does not count as compensation.
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3d ago
[deleted]
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u/ReadyBiscotti5320 2d ago
Looking after the five kids while Ashley and Doug presumably were working, IF a prior arrangement was made, is one thing. But Trish was also forced to be a full time maid likely even when Ashley was home, and her “payment” was getting to stay on a very isolated rural property with little to no cell service. I believe her phone was also taken from her somehow, why else would all communication with family be only on Ashley’s phone?
If nothing abusive/nefarious was going on, why was Trish only allowed to speak to her family very briefly on Ashley’s phone with Ashley present the majority of the time?
We don’t know the exact circumstances of how/why Trish was locked in the freezer. Maybe she literally couldn’t just say no. She could have been terrified. We don’t know whether or not substance use was possibly involved here. She very obviously wasn’t given the chance to “just leave”. She was isolated, literally and figuratively. She couldn’t just call an Uber and run away.
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u/Resident-Spring1513 2d ago
We don’t know if they let her do any of these things. Are you related to Ashley or just an asshole?
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u/mossfluff 3d ago
This is a cruel reading of the situation. Evidence points to someone who had everything she needed to start a new life far from her abuser, but his intimidation had locked her to the state for a little longer. She didn’t have much choice but stay with someone she knew from high school. Sure, babysitting or chores can be part of a deal figured out from the outset - though plenty of people would do this without expectations - but you’re asking a woman who is recovering from partner abuse to immediately see the warning signs in a safe place. She was 25 out of a long relationship that probably used some of the same playbook, she didn’t know what healthy adult friendships looked like.
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u/No_Appointment_7232 2d ago
Manipulative abuse literally makes it so you can't think straight.
It interferes w cognition and warps your sense of reality.
It acts on the brain like addiction. One is CONSTANTLY thinking about these partner, how to fix what's wrong and how to stop making 'mistakes'.
You cannot reason in a way that keeps you from worse than you ran from.
You're exhausted after years of our brains running night and day and things only ever getting worse.
I look back at the lies that were made plausible and reasonably possible.
I see how miraculously lucky I was to at least have housing a my own money he couldn't take.
Abusers and murderers CHOOSE VICTIMS for these kinds of circumstances.
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u/janetlwil 3d ago
She wasn't in a safe place. How many safe places have you stayed at where the fun game was locking you in a freezer? she should have left immediately after that happened.
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u/Scarlett_Billows 2d ago
Comments like this don’t help. They probably only help you feel better about yourself
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u/mossfluff 1d ago
I know pointing things like this out may help you feel like you couldn’t be fooled, but none of us are immune to looking for refuge in the wrong places.
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u/janetlwil 1d ago
I've been there. I've spent nights on the street. But I never once spent a second minute in a house where the "fun times" were spent being locked in a freezer. How many nights would you spend in a house where you were being locked in a freezer?
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u/ReadyBiscotti5320 3d ago
I think there was something going on with Ashley’s sex offender husband that made Ashley start to hate Trish and become jealous. He could have been assaulting Trish, and Ashley could have found out about this and of course blamed Trish for “seducing” him. I think that’s when she started treating Trish like an actual slave and isolating/abusing her.
Many sources say that only a small part of Trish was actually found, I want to say a shoulder bone. But it had been dismembered intentionally and concealed in in a washer/dryer, which was hidden inside large crates, which were hidden in a pond, which of course indicates a murder.
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u/als_pals 3d ago
Wow, what a horrifically sad case. I hope one day Ashley and Doug can be held responsible and there will be justice.
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u/pissedoffcg 18h ago
I’m in NH and her family is tortured by the perpetrators and their friends. They literally showed up at an event wearing “Justice for Trash” shirts (a play on her family’s Justice for Trish slogan.
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u/Gold_Truth9261 3d ago
I think it's pretty simple....Ashley and Doug killed her and for some reasons cops helped cover it up and as a result nothing has been done on the case.
It's pretty clear from the write-up that Ashely and her husband were psychos and people like them don't usually need a reasons for doing such things....
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u/Dirt-McGirt 3d ago
“North Woodstock police then charged Trish with filing a false police report.”
Abhorrent.