Mother of Murdered Teen Accused of Trying to Hire Hitman to Kill Witness to Boy's Death, Stage Crime as Suicide

A Tennessee woman has been arrested after she allegedly tried to hire a hitman to kill a person who witnessed her 17-year-old son’s murder, according to authorities.

Investigators recently spoke with an informant who told officials that 42-year-old Ashley Brown tried to hire them to “kill a witness in the November 2022 murder of her son, Gavin Brown,” according to the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office.

On Nov. 4, 2022, police found the teenager's body in Blountville, according to WCYB-TV. Korey Barnette, 23, and Mason Dubois, 21, were charged in connection with the murder and booked into the Sullivan County Jail.

Barnette was charged with first-degree murder and especially aggravated robbery and Dubois was charged with especially aggravated robbery and accessory after the fact, officials said.

Ashley Brown allegedly met with the informant, who posed as a hitman, and she instructed them to kill the witness and stage it as a suicide, police said.

Brown, authorities said, allegedly noted she “did not want to be tied to the murder,” and she didn't want to go to jail. According to police, the informant claimed the mother had the witness’ work schedule, workplace and car information.

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According to officials, Ashley Brown reportedly said she would “have to leave town” if she killed the witness herself because it would look like she was guilty, and she assured the informant they had nothing to worry about since they “had no ties to her son’s murder.”

Ashley Brown was arrested and charged with soliciting first-degree murder, officials said.

She was booked into the Sullivan County Jail with a $500,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in court on June 20.