Naman Shrestha
Lifetime’s ‘Left For Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story’ is a biographical crime thriller movie based on the true story of Ashley Reeves, a teenager who was found strangled at a park in Millstadt, Illinois. The narrative revolves around the titular character, whose life turns upside down after she forms a bond with a sports teacher. On a seemingly regular day, she is brutally attacked and left to die. Miraculously, she manages to survive and speak against her attacker in court. The movie covers the intricate aspects of her harrowing ordeal with enough authenticity, supported by compelling performances that enhance the realism in the narrative.
Ashley Reeves Mysteriously Disappeared in Late April 2006
Born to a loving and supportive set of parents, Mike and Michelle Reeves, Ashley Reeves grew up in Millstadt, Illinois. A student of Columbia High School, Ashley was considered a bright high school junior who always did well academically and served as a role model for her younger sister, Casey. On the personal front, the funny and vibrant teenager also had a steady and healthy relationship with Jeremy Smith, whom her parents approved of and found to be the right man for their daughter. However, in 2006, she became acquainted with a sports teacher named Samson “Sam” Shelton and played basketball with him on a regular basis.
Soon, Sam started grooming the high school student and manipulated her into a sexually abusive relationship with him. On the fateful day of April 27, 2006, she told her parents that she was heading for a job interview in Fairview Heights in her boyfriend’s SUV and would later go play basketball with her friend. When she didn’t return home that night, her parents became worried and informed the authorities. They also asked their relatives and her friends about her possible whereabouts, but nobody had heard from her. The investigators began interviewing Ashley’s friends and family in order to get to the bottom of her disappearance. Meanwhile, Michelle went through her daughter’s phone bill and noticed that she had been talking to a person more than anyone else; it turned out to be Samson “Sam” Shelton.
Sam Shelton Led the Police to Ashley Reeves After His Confession
When Ashley’s friends mentioned her spending time with Sam, with whom she also planned to meet after the interview, he was brought in for questioning. After 12 hours of interrogation, Sam finally confessed to his crime and admitted to strangling Ashley with his forearm and then with his belt after they got into a heated argument. He told the detectives that he panicked and tried to cover up his crime by concealing her body in the woods. Sam also led the detectives to the area where he left her to die. Thus, Ashley was discovered in a critical condition in a densely wooded park in Belleville over 30 hours after she disappeared.
She was immediately rushed to a hospital in St. Louis, where she was treated for brain trauma. Although he had confessed to the attempted murder, Sam was out on bond and tried to take his own life by overdosing on antidepressants in his mother’s house. However, his attempt to take his own life failed and he was rushed to a hospital by the authorities. In 2007, Sam pleaded guilty to the charges against him and avoided trial. He was eventually sentenced to 20 years in prison for trying to kill the teenager.
Ashley Reeves Has Become a Mother of Two With a Stable Job
In the following years, Ashley Reeves worked on recovering from her severe injuries through regular physiotherapy and medications, suppprted by the love of her family and friends. By 2017, she had gotten herself a new life, which consisted of a busy school schedule, a stable job, two adorable children, and the support of her loved ones. In an exclusive interview with Crime Watch Daily, she shared a few words of motivation. She said, “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up on yourself. There’s bigger, better things out there. I’ve gone through plenty of hardships, and it’s just, just keep fighting. Every day it’s a struggle, but you just gotta keep on trudging.” Preferring to stay away from the limelight, Ashley has kept her life under wraps since the interview. However, we hope she has continued on her path to rebuild her life and is leading a fulfilling one with her loving family and friends by her side.
