REMEMBER Ashley
Ashley Balius
31 YEARS OLD ·
Lake Park,
Florida
Ashley Marie Balius was 31 years old and deeply connected to her family and friends. She had a twin sister, Amanda, and was remembered in memorial tributes for her kindness, warmth, laughter, and memorable smile. Following her death, her family requested that memorial donations be made to Aid to Victims of Domestic Violence.
Ashley was born on May 19, 1985, and was part of a close family that included her mother, twin sister Amanda, brother Kenny, grandparents, extended relatives, and many friends. Memorial tributes remember Ashley for her kindness, warmth, laughter, and memorable smile. Friends recalled dinners, cookouts, nights out, game nights, and other memories shared with her. She was also chosen as a godmother to a close friend’s son.
Ashley’s family described her as someone who remained supportive of her husband through difficult periods in his life, including the death of his mother and a car accident. Following Ashley’s death, her family requested memorial donations to Aid to Victims of Domestic Violence.
THE RECORD
On March 7, 2017, Ashley was inside a vehicle in the driveway of the couple’s Riviera Beach home when Dwight Luton fatally shot her. Luton initially attempted to tell police that Ashley had shot herself. Investigators later obtained security-camera footage from the residence showing Luton pull out what appeared to be a firearm, point it toward Ashley while she sat in the driver’s seat, and Ashley slump over. Responding officers found her unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the side of her head.
RELATIONSHIP CONTEXT
Husband
The relationship context requires additional source review before publication.
PATTERNS DOCUMENTED IN AVAILABLE RECORDS
These indicators reflect what could be established from available sources. Absence from this list does not establish that a behavior did not occur.
LEGAL / SYSTEM RESPONSE
Luton was prosecuted for Ashley’s death and initially faced a first-degree murder trial. In May 2019, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder. Chief Judge Krista Marx sentenced him to 40 years in prison, with the first 25 years required to be served day-for-day because a firearm was used. Ashley’s parents also filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Luton in 2018.
INFORMATION LIMITATIONS
This record was converted from The Violet Thread's internal research database. Fields marked UNKNOWN were not established by the available coded record and do not mean the behavior did not occur. Remembrance and narrative fields require source-level QA before publication.
TRANSPARENCY / RECORD NOTE
Family members described a history of emotional, mental, and physical abuse during Ashley and Luton’s relationship. Ashley’s twin sister stated during sentencing that the fatal shooting was not the first time Luton had physically harmed Ashley.
REMEMBER Ashley.
Every statistic had a name. Every name had a life.
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