Ashley Kline Murder – R*ped, Beaten, Stabbed & Set On Fire

Investigation Discovery’s show ‘Unusual Suspects: New Years Evil’ tells the chilling story of Ashley Kline murder, a 23-year-old woman from Pennsylvania who was brutally r*ped and murdered in late December 2003.

Her body was discovered about two weeks later, and the police swiftly apprehended the killers just a few days after the crime occurred.

According to ID, Michael revealed that Ashley informed him she was going to her childhood best friend Lana Briar’s house, which was only four blocks away from their home.

She intended to help Lana prepare for the upcoming New Year’s party.

Michael was not initially concerned when Ashley did not return home that night or attend the New Year’s Eve party on December 31.

He believed Ashley often stayed at Lana’s place and assumed they were having a good time.

However, Ashley never arrived at Lana’s house on December 30 and did not attend the party.

The police located Ashley’s boyfriend, Wesley Devinshire, who lived approximately ten miles away.

Investigators noted that Wesley and Ashley had been in a relationship for about four years during the investigation.

Ashley’s last Facebook post featured a picture of a heart pendant engraved with her and Wesley’s names.

Wesley, who worked at a pizza chain, claimed he had not seen Ashley in several days.

He mentioned receiving a text from her on December 30 and planning to meet her at Lana’s party.

Concerned that Ashley did not appear, he became worried sick and attempted to contact her multiple times.

The police also interviewed Ashley’s friends, including Ryan Matthew Schannauer, who was 20 then.

Ryan was the last person to witness Ashley’s arrival as they were watching a movie together.

However, Ashley appeared distracted, and eventually, Ryan drove her home.

Ryan claimed that Ashley was texting someone and disembarked about a block from her home near a parking area.

Where did Ashley Kline go from the parking area?

On January 2, a jogger stumbled upon some of Ashley’s belongings scattered in a wooded area near the Bollman Hat Company’s factory in Adamstown.

Among her items, the police discovered a Phillies cap, which they believed could belong to the perpetrator.

The police diligently pursued various leads, including investigating Wesley, an inmate whom Ashley corresponded with through her church’s PenPal program, and a fellow church member with a prior conviction as a sex offender.

However, none of these leads yielded significant results until Ashley’s body was found on January 12.

The brutal nature of the Ashley Kline murder indicated that she had some familiarity with the perpetrator.

Moreover, the investigation team requested all the gas station owners for surveillance footage of December 30 to gather more information.

Fortunately, after watching hundreds of footage, the officers found a vital clue.

They noticed a suspicious individual buying gas at a station a few miles from where the body was discovered.

This person was wearing the same Phillies cap seen in the footage, and by enlarging the video, they could identify him as Adam Morning Star Lynch from Reading.

Where are the perpetrators of Ashley Kline murder now?

During the police interrogation, Adam Lynch quickly pointed the finger at Ashley’s childhood friend, Ryan Schannauer, as the culprit.

When officers examined Ryan’s car, they discovered substantial evidence connecting him to the murder, such as Ashley’s footprint on the window and her broken pendant on the car floor.

Ryan was taken to the police station, where he shifted the blame onto Adam.

While detectives filed charges, Adam’s girlfriend arrived at the station, providing them with a crucial breakthrough.

According to Adam’s girlfriend, Ryan and Adam were involved in the murder.

The prosecution claimed that Ryan had romantic feelings for Ashley, but she rejected him.

Driven by s*xual jealousy, Ryan conspired with Adam for several months before abducting Ashley on December 30.

After Ryan s*xually assaulted her inside his vehicle, he and Adam dragged her out, subjected her to physical assault and stabbing, and ultimately set her on fire.

The medical examiner’s report revealed that Ashley had soot in her lungs, indicating she was still alive when set ablaze.

Court documents stated that on January 8, the pair returned to further burn the body.

Adam and Ryan pleaded guilty to one each of murder, arson, abuse of a corpse, and planning to commit these crimes.

The judge sentenced them to life in jail with an additional term of up to 40 years in December 2014.

As per the court’s official records, Ryan is serving his life sentence at the State Correctional Institution in Rockview, while Adam is serving his sentence in Huntingdon.