Feds Charge Man For Carjacking That Led To Murder

 LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A Vine Grove, Kentucky man, who carjacked and murdered one person in Louisville has been arrested and charged with carjacking, announced United States Attorney Russell Coleman.

“This is exceptional police and prosecutorial work by lawmen and women who take their oath to protect all Kentuckians seriously,” said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman.

Ashton Clay Nally, 20, of Vine Grove, Kentucky, was arrested on Sunday December 13, 2020, in Madisonville, Kentucky.

According to the criminal complaint, On November 23, 2020, LMPD received a 911 call of a shooting, which occurred at a home on Crittenden Drive, in Louisville, KY. Upon LMPD’s arrival, they located the victim, lying in the roadway outside the home, who had sustained three gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Upon investigation, LMPD obtained video surveillance and a witness account from a nearby residence. While reviewing the video, an unknown individual can be observed approaching the victim. An argument can be overheard between the two. Three shots can be heard. The victim falls backwards into the roadway while the unknown individual enters the driver’s seat. The unknown individual flees the area in the vehicle at a high rate of speed.

LMPD located the victim’s vehicle, a 2016 Mazda CX-5, at the intersection of Lynn Street and Emmet Avenue where it had wrecked into another vehicle, which was parked on Lynn Street. A search of the vehicle was conducted by LMPD. During the search, a pair of glasses were located on the dashboard. These glasses were identified as having brown metal frame imprinted with MM 5105 BR 52-17-140. The right lens was removed from the frame and lying on the dashboard beside the frame. It appeared whenever the unknown individual wrecked, his glasses had fallen off and the impact caused the right lens to exit the frame.

According to the complaint, on November 30, 2020, LMPD received an anonymous online tip. This tip advised the defendant, Nally, had shot and killed the victim. The tipster also advised after the shooting Nally fled the area in the victim’s vehicle, crashing it nearby. Nally then fled on foot down Preston Highway where he threw the pistol used during the Carjacking onto a roof near the White Castle. LMPD had conducted a neighborhood canvass in the area of the wreckage. During this canvass, LMPD located video footage, which did depict Nally running towards Preston Highway.

On December 2, 2020, LMPD received a second tip that Nally admitted to another individual that he had killed the victim during the carjacking.

The federal carjacking charge carries a maximum sentence of death, a fine of $250,000, and no more than three years of supervised release.

A federal complaint is a written statement of the essential facts of the offense charged and must be made under oath before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.  The charge set forth in a complaint is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a Court of law.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tom Dyke. The FBI Louisville Field Office and Louisville Metro Police Department are investigating this case.

This case falls with the purview of the federal carjacking task force formed in August of 2020 as carjackings in Louisville skyrocketed. The partners on the task force include: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HIS), the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Kentucky State Police, the Jefferson Co. Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office.