Naman Shrestha
A week apart in March 2021, two strikingly similar murders of Ashley Lambert and Denita Barrett rocked the entire community of Baltimore, Maryland. Thanks to the CCTV footage of the two crime scenes, the authorities managed to get to the bottom of the truth and apprehend the perpetrator. Both murder cases and the swift investigation that followed are explored in a detailed manner in the episode titled ‘The Trophy Collector’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘See No Evil.’ The documentary also features in-depth interviews with individuals connected to the deceased women and the investigation.
While Ashley Lambert Was Found Dead in a Motel, Denita Barrett Was Killed in Her House
On July 15, 1983, Ashley Lambert was welcomed into the world by a seemingly loving set of parents, who raised her to be an independent woman. Growing up, she developed a passion for music and traveling. She was also known for her sense of humor and generosity. Eventually, she became a doting mother to four children, whom she considered her world. Ashley also enjoyed spending time with her nieces and even went on long drives to West Virginia and Ocean City with them. As for Denita Barrett, not much is known about her life except the fact that she was also a mother to two loving children. At the age of 21, Denita had so much to look forward to. Sadly, her life was cut short on March 22, 2021, when her sister discovered her unresponsive in the living room of her house on the 2400 block of Annapolis Road in Baltimore, Maryland.
When the authorities arrived at the scene, they declared her dead. Right beside her remains, the detectives found a cell phone, which belonged to the killer. The autopsy revealed that the cause of her death was strangulation. Within a week of Denita’s murder, the Baltimore Police Department came across the killing of 37-year-old Ashley Lambert. On March 28, an employee of the Deluxe Plaza Motel found her inside a room at the motel, which is located on the 6400 block of Pulaski Highway in East Baltimore. The authorities arrived at the scene of the crime and pronounced her dead. Results of the autopsy showed that she was suffocated to death, seemingly by a chokehold. The police launched an investigation into both murders, unaware that both acts were committed by a single perpetrator.
The Killer of Ashley Lambert and Denita Barrett Was Someone They Met Online
As part of the investigation, the authorities went through the security footage of the area where Ashley Lambert was last seen alive. They spotted a man with her and found out his identity by getting a receipt from a Dunkin’ Donuts, where he had shopped. Through his visa card, the detectives learned that the man was Christopher Tyson, after which he was considered a person of interest. Besides his identity, his Wells Fargo card also helped them learn his address. They managed to obtain a search warrant for his house and found him in a bedroom on the second floor.
He was brought in for questioning, during which he tried to provide explanations, but the detectives kept pressing him for answers. At one point, they also showed him an image of the surveillance footage showing him with Ashley. Not only did he admit that it was him, but he also claimed that he had met her online and was meeting her in person for sex. He eventually confessed to strangling her to death with a chokehold after getting into an argument with her in the room at the Deluxe Plaza Motel. Furthermore, he confessed to killing Denita Barrett the same way.
As per his account, just like Ashley, he met her online and made an arrangement to meet her in person at her house and pay for sex. He told the authorities that she got infuriated when he used insulting words to describe her. After they got into a heated altercation, he put her in a chokehold and strangled her to death. On April 24, 2021, Christopher Tyson was arrested for killing Ashley Lambert and was formally charged with the murder of Denita Barrett. On top of that, the police also released the accused’s photo in public, encouraging other possible assault victims to come forward and report the incidents.
Christopher Tyson is Currently Incarcerated at a Maryland Prison Facility
More than a year after his arrest, in May 2022, Christopher Tyson pleaded guilty to strangling Ashley Lambert and Denita Barrett to death. On May 10, the family and friends of Ashley and Denita attended the hearing and took the stand one by one. The latter’s sister addressed the convict, saying, “You tore my family apart.” Her grandmother also said that her children would grow up without a mother. Meanwhile, one of Ashley’s family members expressed that she felt bad for Christopher’s parents. She stated, “I don’t wish him to be killed. I’m not that kind of person, but I know God is going to take care of him in the end.”
On the other hand, the killer also took the stand and extended his apologies to both families. Due to his plea agreement, the prosecution also agreed to let go of another crime he was involved in on April 24, 2021. For that incident, he was charged with rape, sex offenses, assault, armed robbery, theft, and use of a deadly weapon. Ultimately, Christopher received two life sentences for killing Ashley Lambert and Denita Barrett. As of today, he is serving his sentence at Western Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland.
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