LYNCHBURG, Va. – Many questions remain as to how a Lynchburg woman, who attacked law enforcement with a knife back in May, was back out on the streets to do it again. The suspect was shot by police on two separate occasions within a matter of months.
10 News is working for you to learn how this could happen.
A warrant in Lynchburg General District Court painted a clearer picture detailing why the accused felon, Ashley Biggs Neeley was on the streets of Lynchburg on September 27. That’s the day Lynchburg Police said she was holding a knife, which caused officers to shoot her.
Court documents show Neeley received a furlough order for her to leave Amherst County Adult Detention Center and receive treatment at Southstone Recovery Center located in South Boston.
However, a report from a correctional officer shows the night before the most recent officer-involved shooting, Neeley had called the jail to tell them she had left the treatment center.
Neeley said she requested to go to a mental hospital, but the facility refused which is when she said she called 911 to go to the hospital herself. She was later discharged.
Neeley’s husband spoke with 10 News and shared his frustrations when he found out his wife was back on the streets.
“She was in a drug rehab facility and they released her. They shouldn’t have done that because she was denied bond three times, three times. How the hell did they let her out on the street,” said Aaron Neeley.
It is unclear how Neeley traveled from Amherst County to South Boston, then back to Lynchburg.
10 News has reached out to the Lynchburg Police Department and the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office to question whether they received a call from Neeley, and if it is their job to take a furloughed inmate back to jail. We have not gotten an answer.
We also reached out to the treatment center where Neeley was ordered to stay to ask about their policy on releasing patients. They have not responded.