VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The woman charged in connection with the presumed death of a missing man will remain behind bars.
A Virginia Beach judge denied Ashley Walton’s bond this morning. She has been charged with concealment of a dead body in the homicide investigation of 42-year-old Matrell Lamar, who disappeared from Knotts Island, North Carolina in July.
Lamar has been reported missing since July 15. He has not been seen or found; his family is still looking for answers.
Friends and family of Lamar were in court Friday to get a glimpse of the woman in connection with his death; they heard a judge say exactly what they were hoping for — bond denied.
“It still doesn’t bring him back,” said Keanisha Harris, Lamar’s sister.
Walton told authorities Lamar left earlier in the month after the two got into an argument, and she hadn’t seen him since. But court documents tell a different story, with phone records showing the two were pinged at the Pungo Ferry Bridge boat ramp.
“When he called me, they were on the bridge,” said Debra Freeman, Lamar’s mother. “They were arguing, and she was waiting for somebody to come pick her up. And that was the last phone call I had with him.”
Before his disappearance, Lamar and Walton were living together. Lamar’s mother reached out to police back in mid-July when she hadn’t heard from him.
“It feels overwhelming at this point,” Harris said. “I’m just hoping for justice and praying that everything works out.”
Lamar’s mother told 10 On Your Side that Lamar left a voicemail that said the two were on the bridge and their car had run out of gas.
According to court documents, Walton called a man, and the suspect allegedly showed up and shot Lamar. They said the body was then put in Walton’s car, and she is accused of driving his remains.
“We’re never going to see him smile again,” Harris said. “We’re not going to ever see him laugh.”
The family believes Lamar is dead, but without a body found, they are unsure what the next steps are.
“The next worst process is trying to prepare or figure out what I could do as a service for him,” Freeman said. “And then I have to go through his belongings. So it’s going to be a long road.”
At the end of the hearing, a friend of Ashely Walton who is believed to be her boyfriend asked to hug her, but he was denied. Walton has a preliminary court hearing scheduled for Feb. 14, 2025.
The search for Lamar remains ongoing.