NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Brandy Billie couldn’t sleep not knowing where Ashanti was.
Ashanti Billie was Brandy Billie’s only child, and during the early morning hours of Sept. 18, 2017, the young woman was last seen leaving her apartment building in the Town Center area of Virginia Beach, according to police. Her Maryland-based parents would later learn that that information was wrong.
“We were getting information ahead of the local police,” Brandy Billie said.
Activist Michael Muhammad stepped in to help.
“Once we came on, we had aid from persons like [Norfolk] Mayor Kenny Alexander, Congressman Scott Taylor and others to get the FBI involved,” Muhammad said.
The FBI identified a suspect, former Navy man Eric Brown, who allegedly abducted Ashanti Billie from Little Creek and drove her car to a church near Charlotte, North Carolina, where the young woman’s remains were found 11 days after she was first reported missing in Norfolk. Due to mental illness, his trial is pending.
“I honestly believe that, in the case for Ashanti, social media was the saving grace due to the story being circulated due to reporters, due to people like you, who said ‘Let’s put it out there, we have to,” Muhammad said. “The public was the catalyst for so much in this case.”
At the time of Ashanti Billie’s abduction, she was too old for an Amber Alert, and too young for a Silver Alert.
Muhammad, the Billies and others called for the establishment of the Ashanti Alert.
“Sen. Mark Warner was an absolute amazing help,” Muhammad said. “He picked it up from the Senate level and he ran with it even though the House bill was not approved in the Senate. He was able to get a bill that they could approve, [ran] it back through the House, got it approved, got it signed by the president of the United States.”
Thursday, in the midst of Crime Prevention Month, the Justice Department introduced a new website for the public to learn about the Ashanti Alert, created by the Warner-authored law that aims to let the public know about missing or endangered adults ages 18-64.
The website gives information about the law and the National Ashanti Alert Network, and has links to state missing person programs, along with other resources.
Warner helped secure unanimous passage of the Ashanti Alert Act through the Senate on Dec. 6, 2018 and the bill was signed into law on Dec. 31, 2018. It was in 2018 when Virginia enacted the Critically Missing Adult Alert Plan, also known as the Ashanti Alert.
“Having fought for the passage and nationwide implementation of the Ashanti Alert nationwide, I’m very proud to announce the launch of a public website that will help the public better understand how to report a missing person,” Warner said in a statement. “I’ve been proud to work closely with the Department of Justice on the launch of these resources as we continue to honor Ashanti’s legacy and save lives.”
Muhammad said Ashanti Billie’s abduction and death has turned into a catalyst to help prevent anything similar from taking place to others.
“Now,” he said, “her life is a beacon call for people missing all over the country.”
