Photo by cottonbro studio
Ashley Stewart spent her days designing interiors, shuttling six kids between school and activities, and quietly holding together the kind of large, blended household that runs on coffee and patience. On the night of January 27, 2026, police say her ex-husband ambushed her in the garage of her Oswego, Illinois, home and stabbed her to death while her current husband watched the attack unfold on a security camera feed from miles away. She was 41 years old.
In the weeks since, friends and family have fought to keep Ashley’s story from being reduced to a crime blotter entry. They describe a woman whose gentleness was her defining trait, and whose loss has left six children without the parent who held their world together.
What investigators say happened
According to the Oswego Police Department and a detailed account published by People, Ashley’s current husband was away from the home on the evening of January 27 when he checked a live security camera feed and saw a man chasing his wife into the attached garage. He called 911 immediately.
Officers arrived to find Ashley unresponsive inside the home with multiple stab wounds. A trail of evidence led from the garage into the interior of the residence. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. Investigators say the entire attack, from the moment the suspect confronted Ashley near her car to the point she collapsed, lasted only minutes.
Police issued an alert for the suspect’s vehicle. A patrol officer spotted the car shortly after, and the driver was taken into custody without further incident.
The charges against Ryan Dodd
Authorities identified the suspect as Ryan Dodd, Ashley’s ex-husband and a resident of Aurora, Illinois. According to charging documents reported by local media, Dodd faces counts of first-degree murder and home invasion in connection with Ashley’s death. (Published reports have listed his age as both 44 and 45; court filings will clarify the discrepancy.)
Investigators have described the killing as a domestic violence ambush. Domestic violence advocates have since cited the case as a stark example of how lethal an abusive situation can become after separation. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the period immediately after a victim leaves a relationship is statistically the most dangerous.
Who Ashley was before she became a headline
Ashley Stewart was a mother of six, a fact confirmed by friends who spoke to People magazine after her death. She worked as an interior designer and filled her social media with photos of carefully styled rooms and snapshots from kids’ birthday parties, the kind of small, everyday joys that now read as a record of a life well lived.
A close friend described Ashley in a widely shared video tribute on Instagram as “very soft spoken” and “a genuine human being.” The friend called her “a beacon of light,” someone who could walk into a tense room and calm it with a smile. In a separate interview, the same friend said Ashley had a gift for listening that made people feel like they were the only person in the room.
Others in her circle remembered her as the friend who showed up with coffee on a bad day or quietly covered a bill when someone was short. She handled late-night phone calls, last-minute babysitting, and the relentless logistics of a big household without asking for recognition. “She just did what needed to be done,” one friend said.
What comes next
As of early 2026, Ryan Dodd remains in custody on first-degree murder and home invasion charges. The criminal case is expected to move through the Kendall County court system over the coming months. Security camera footage from the night of the attack is among the evidence investigators have collected.
For Ashley’s family and friends, the legal process is only one piece of what lies ahead. Six children are growing up without their mother. A community that knew her as a quiet, steady presence is grappling with the reality that separation from an abusive partner does not always guarantee safety.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788. Help is available 24/7.
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