Carollton man sentenced to life for murdering victim, hiding body in backyard
Aaron Tarrie Ashley (Carroll County Sheriffs Office)
CARROLLTON, Ga. - A Carrollton man will spend the rest of his life in prison for the deadly shooting of a 20-year-old man in 2020.
On the afternoon of Jan. 20, 2020, deputies with the Carroll County Sheriff's Office were called to a home on the 100 block of Rose Street to investigate a death.
At the scene, deputies found the body of 20-year-old Christopher Taylor Cook. Cook had been shot to death and covered up with brush in the home's backyard.
Witnesses identified the gunman as 41-year-old Carrollton resident Aaron Tarrie Ashley, and deputies began searching for the wanted man. They found him that night at a home off of Waddell Street in Bremen, Georgia.
When deputies tried to make contact with Ashley, they say he barricaded himself inside the home, leading to a SWAT standoff. He was eventually taken into custody after hours of negotiations.
In February, a jury found Ashley guilty of malice murder, felony murder, concealment of a body and other charges.
Friday, a judge sentenced the Carrollton man to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 25 years and an additional 12 months to be served consecutively.