A Texas woman accused of murder asked a judge to cut her bond in half so she could pay it with OnlyFans modeling proceeds.
During a group attack, three people are alleged to have punched, kicked, and used a baseball bat to beat 23-year-old Zachary Woods to death in late May of this year. The incident occurred at a ravaged house in Wichita Falls, which is located in the far northern reaches of the Lone Star State – though not part of the northernmost panhandle region – some 15 or so miles south of the Oklahoma border.
Ashley Marie Esselborn, 21, is not known to have delivered any of the multitudinous fatal blows that took the young man’s life, however, prosecutors allege that she cheered and egged the beating on, and later helped dispose of some of the blood-soaked evidence.
William Bell, 28, and Payton Collier, 27, turned themselves in three days after the slaying. Later that same day, Ronnie Lang, 18, was arrested on a warrant for a separate incident but also charged in the murder of Woods. Esselborn was arrested the next day.
Police at the scene of the crime described the house on Brown Street as “ransacked” and said the killing appeared to be a “massive bloodletting event that occurred in multiple rooms,” according to an arrest warrant and affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.
Bell and Esselborn were boyfriend and girlfriend when Woods died.
Police in Wichita Falls say that Esselborn and Collier were together and they confronted Woods about stolen money and drugs. Collier at first denied any involvement or knowledge about the murder. But a cooperating witness allegedly implicated Collier.
An affidavit says that witness showed police text messages in which Collier, late on the night in question, asked for help and a ride.
“What’s going on?” the witness texted Collier.
“Im beating the fucc outt him rn,” she allegedly texted back, “he stole my fuccking shit.”
Twelve minutes later, police allege, Collier sent a similar message saying: “come and help me!! I’m beating the fucc out of him.”
One minute after that, police say, Collier sent the witness a picture of her bloody hand.
After that, Collier allegedly confessed, saying her boyfriend, Lang was the one who used the baseball bat but that Bell also took part in the murder. When Bell was arrested, he also allegedly confessed, and implicated Collier and Lang, but said he did not use the baseball bat.
Originally, each of the four were assessed $1 million bond. They were all formally indicted in August on various charges.
In early September of this year, Lang pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Collier is currently in jail on $500,000 bond. Bell is currently out of jail on $200,000 bond.
In late July 2022, Esselborn requested and had her bond lowered to $100,000 by 30th District Judge Jeff McKnight. Bell’s bond was later lowered to the present amount by the same judge.
Esselborn, police said, admitted to being at the house when the attack occurred, before leaving with Bell, and then returning. The former Hooters waitress allegedly told police that she was staying at the same house as Woods when she awoke one day to find drugs missing from her purse and accused the deceased man of stealing.
At least one witness says that after the attack, Esselborn bragged about not being arrested and that she had, in fact, put her hands on the victim. Prosecutors allege that during the beating, she yelled at Woods directly, demanding to know where the stolen money and drugs were.
Last Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, Esselborn said she had some $8,000 in a locked OnlyFans account that she was trying to access that would probably be enough to cover bond if it were set at $50,000. According to KFDX, Judge McKnight denied the request.
[Images via Wichita Falls Police Department]
