Unsolved case haunts Fulton police lieutenant

Fulton Police Lieutenant Russ Johnson spoke those words as he sat at his office desk reading through the thick file containing all the information gathered on the tragic hit-and-run death of Carolee Sadie Ashby.

Carolee was struck and killed by an unknown driver Halloween night in 1968 as she walked with her sister, Darlene. The four-year-old girl’s body was dragged 133 feet north on South Second Street.

The Fulton Police Department was assisted in the initial investigation by State Police and the Oswego County Sheriff’s Department, but was unable to track down the driver of the vehicle. Some witnesses at the time described the car as a light-colored sedan possibly being driven by a white male. Other witnesses described other colors and makes of cars.

Police officers tracked down dozens of leads and conducted many interviews, but were never able to make an arrest in the case.

Johnson, who will retire from the police department in a few months, said that he would like to solve the case before he leaves, although he said he realizes it is a long shot.

"I would like to see it resolved for the family," he said. "In talking with them it’s like it happened yesterday."

Johnson’s eyes filled with tears as he looked over a black and white photograph of the crime scene. He apologized for the tears as he recalled the events that took place that night.

The accident was reported by Donna True at 6:30 p.m. She told police she heard a girl screaming and saw the victim lying on the pavement and her sister standing by her.

Carolee had been holding her sister’s hand. The sisters had left their home to go to a drugstore to purchase candles for Darlene’s cake. It was Darlene’s birthday and the girls’ mother, Marlene Ashby, had stopped for a cake on her way home from work.

Police lieutenant seeks to solve 37-year-old case- Fulton Police Lieutenant Russ Johnson holds a photograph of Carolee Sadie Ashby, who was killed Halloween night in 1968 by a hit-and-run driver. Johnson, who will retire from the police department in a few months, said that he would like to solve the case before he leaves. -
Valley News photo by Carol Thompson

"We all ended up at the hospital together," Mrs. Ashby recalled. "To this day I don’t remember how I got there."

The police conducted an initial investigation at the scene, although they did not set up a roadblock until the following day.

Johnson said the records state that a police officer’s camera would not work and a reporter from The Valley News offered one. That camera failed to work properly, as well.

The physical evidence recovered did limit clues left for police. What was recovered resulted in no solid evidence after being turned in to the New York State Police lab.

Police offered a reward for information leading to the person responsible for Carolee’s death and have followed numerous leads since the 1968 tragedy.

Mrs. Ashby described her daughter as a unique girl. "She danced for us and told jokes," she said. "She won everybody over."

Carolee attended dance classes and Mrs. Ashby has held on to her dance costume and shoes. She said that she would clear off the coffee table and Carolee would dance on it. When recital time came, she became more timid, until she saw her father out in the audience taking pictures.

"She loved to dance," Mrs. Ashby recalled.

The case was never closed and in 1999 police resurrected the investigation, following new leads and re-interviewing some of the witnesses.

Johnson became involved with the investigation at that time. He keeps a black and white photograph of Carolee taped to his computer tower. Right next to it, on his computer screen, is a picture of his own young daughter.

Mrs. Ashby believes that because Johnson himself is the father of a young child, he can relate to her loss. "He’s a sweetheart," she said of Johnson and his dedication to the case.

Both are seeking closure. Johnson said the statute of limitations has likely run out on the 37-year-old case but that the closure it would bring the family remains important. He continues to review the file, reading witness statements, hoping to find something that may have been overlooked in the past.

Both wish the person behind the wheel would come forward. The statute of limitations has not run out on the 37 years of pain that has endured in the Ashby family.

"They say time heals but it doesn’t really," Mrs. Ashby said. She added that she would like the driver to come to her door and say he is sorry.

"He took an awful lot away from us."

Hit and Run Accidents