THE DARK SIDE OF FLORIDA
Henry Ashley
#028736
photo courtesy FDC
Full Name: Henry Thomas "Tommy" Ashley
Date of birth: May 30, 1943
Conviction: 1st-degree murder
County: Pasco
City: New Port Richey
Current Location: Columbia Annex
Date of Crime: October 4, 1970
Tentative discharge date: Life
Victim(s): Richard LaPlante
Date of birth: May 30, 1943
Conviction: 1st-degree murder
County: Pasco
City: New Port Richey
Current Location: Columbia Annex
Date of Crime: October 4, 1970
Tentative discharge date: Life
Victim(s): Richard LaPlante
The first victim, Richard LaPlante, was picked up by his killers while hitchhiking. The killers had been at Dorn’s Hideaway Restaurant earlier in the evening. After riding him around for a short while, Robert Ashley and Lawrence Osteen demanded that Richard give him his money. He did so and Robert ordered him to get out of the car, which was parked at a lonely spot at the time. Richard started to walk away from the car and as he did, Robert shot him several times in the back, killing him. Robert and Lawrence dragged the dead man off the road, got back in the car and drove back to Dorn’s.
The other four victims were killed around midnight or shortly thereafter on October 3, 1970, an hour or two prior to the first murder. They were Andrew and Mildred Dorn, the owners and operators of Dorn’s Hideway Restaurant in New Port Richey, a waitress, Ethel Vaiana, and her husband, Philip Vaiana, who happened to be in the restaurant at the time of the killings. The restaurant was located in a rather uninhabited area.
Robert Ashley and Lawrence Osteen cased the restaurant prior to the killings. The evidence established that the killings were motivated by a robbery on the part of Robert. Robert shot each of the victims in cold blood without any necessity. Witnesses placed Robert and Lawrence at Dorn’s between 9:30 and midnight. Robert was driven to and from Dorn’s in a car owned by the eye witness. Subsequently, the eye witness drove Robert back to St. Petersburg and left him off near his girlfriend’s house.
The other four victims were killed around midnight or shortly thereafter on October 3, 1970, an hour or two prior to the first murder. They were Andrew and Mildred Dorn, the owners and operators of Dorn’s Hideway Restaurant in New Port Richey, a waitress, Ethel Vaiana, and her husband, Philip Vaiana, who happened to be in the restaurant at the time of the killings. The restaurant was located in a rather uninhabited area.
Robert Ashley and Lawrence Osteen cased the restaurant prior to the killings. The evidence established that the killings were motivated by a robbery on the part of Robert. Robert shot each of the victims in cold blood without any necessity. Witnesses placed Robert and Lawrence at Dorn’s between 9:30 and midnight. Robert was driven to and from Dorn’s in a car owned by the eye witness. Subsequently, the eye witness drove Robert back to St. Petersburg and left him off near his girlfriend’s house.
Source: Justia US Law