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Two charged in Catalina Motel murder case in Lexington, heads to grand jury

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Posted at 2:00 PM, Apr 15, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-15 20:42:42-04

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Police are revealing new details about a death at a northside motel as the victim's family looked on.

The victim's family told us Bill Ashby was in Lexington trying to get his life back on track. He ended up at the Catalina Motel. That's where police say his life ended.

New testimony revealed how and why police say 30-year-old Alysha Noel and 50-year-old Danny Sims murdered Ashby last week.

Detective Kristyn Klingshirn told the courtroom Ashby and Sims were living together in a room at the motel and Noel was Sims' girlfriend.

She says the incident started as a fight between Noel and Ashby when the victim accused Noel of using drugs in the motel room. Detective Klingshirn testified Sims confessed to getting involved and hitting Ashby with a metal object.

According to the detective's testimony, Sims said Noel used a box cutter to cut Ashby's throat and the two bound his feet with duct tape and hid him under the bed.

Police found Ashby's body days later after law enforcement received a tip from another motel resident.

As the investigation continues, Noel is maintaining her innocence and denies her relationship with Sims.

"She was very inconsistent with her timeline and her relationship with Mr. Sims," said Detective Klingshirn.

Ashby's family told us he had numerous health issues, used a cane, and had trouble seeing and hearing. They believe he met Sims in a halfway house.

The suspects' bond is set at $500,000 each. The case now heads to a grand jury.