The community is deeply shocked and saddened by the unexpected death of James Chambers. An air of concern spread as people seek answers about the circumstances surrounding his demise.
This post aims to provide a comprehensive account of the events leading to his death, unraveling the details of the tragic incident. Delve into this post to gain a better understanding of mysterious and sorrowful end of James Chambers.
What Happened to James Chambers?
James Chambers, a 28-year-old Fayetteville resident, held two jobs: he was a lifeguard at Duplin County and he was a construction worker at his father’s firm.
His roommate at the time, Brandi Sugrue, last saw him at his Carol Street apartment before he left for his shift with Howard Adrian Ashleman, his coworker at Lake Leamon on August 15, 2014. When James didn’t come home for days, Brandi imagined he was at a girlfriend’s apartment.
Chamber’s family searched for him for almost ten days and on August 24, they filed a missing person’s report. While Chambers’ case was being investigated, Brandi revealed:
“He mentioned a falling out with somebody a few weeks ago, maybe a month, but he did not seem overly concerned about it. Otherwise, nobody knows where he is. His dog and all his stuff are still here.”
The case became cold in spite of the efforts of the detectives as well as Chambers’s friends and family. Even though Howard Ashleman was considered a suspect, he was cleared after his interview with the police due to lack of evidence.
On February 12, 2018, Ashleman was arrested by the Fayetteville Police Department after they worked with the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the department’s violent criminal apprehending team.
After the police obtained a tape of his confession to Hannah Jones (Howard Ashleman’s former partner), he was arrested on accusations of first-degree murder and robbery with a deadly weapon. Ashleman then shed light on the murder during an interrogation and below you will read about it.
How Did Ashleman Kill James Chambers?
He notified the authorities and mentioned that he and James got drinks at the latter’s house. James allegedly requested Ashleman to go with him to collect a debt from someone after this.
There was a furious disagreement between the two in the car, with Howard supposedly not on board with the idea. Ashleman reached for his revolver to threaten Chambers, but he unintentionally fired the trigger, killing him.
What Did Ashleman Do With James Chambers’ Dead Body?
In the Wade neighborhood of Cumberland County, Ashleman tried to burn James Chambers’s body in the woods behind his home, but he was unsuccessful and buried it instead. He dug out the corpse and cut it into pieces as the authorities closed in on him.
In an episode titled “The Bridge”, which was aired on January 21, 2024 at 8 pm EST, Dateline NBC provided insight into his murder case. Have a look at the tweet related to the episode provided below:
Sunday on a classic #Dateline at 8/7c… pic.twitter.com/pxWAIpT9u1
— Dateline NBC (@DatelineNBC) January 20, 2024
If you want to know what happened to other persons then you can check out our below posts:
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Where is Howard Adrian Ashleman Now?
On February 12, 2018, Howard Adrian Ashleman was taken into custody on suspicion of first-degree murder and robbery with a deadly weapon. Later that month, Ashleman entered a guilty plea to his charges.
He was given a sentence that included a minimum of 15 years and six months and a maximum of 19 years and eight months, along with an extra six months of probation. He is now a prisoner at the Columbus Correctional Institution, which is close to Brunswick, North Carolina.
A Look at the Life of James Chambers
James Chambers was a well-liked member of his community. On July 8, 1986, Pete Chambers and Rachel Wellhouser welcomed James Allan Chambers II into the world. He was a selfless and outgoing friend and son and he lived in Fayetteville in Cumberland County, North Carolina.
Michael was the younger brother of James Chambers and the two enjoyed a strong relationship. James Chambers was employed as a civilian construction worker at his father’s business, Chambers Concrete, at Fort Bragg (now known as Fort Liberty).
In addition, he was employed part-time by Duplin County as a lifeguard. Chambers had left his dog and all of his personal possessions at the house he leased from Brandi Sugrue on Carol Street. Below we shared a tweet how James’ loved ones remember him:
Loved ones remember James Chambers #Dateline pic.twitter.com/4z7QJ2FDl7
— Dateline NBC (@DatelineNBC) January 22, 2024
Our condolences are with James Chambers’ friends and family members. You can follow us on Twitter for more information related to these kinds of topics.