Private Investigator Murder Suspect Released On Bond

February 5, 2018

A woman charged with the murder of a private investigator was released on bond from the Escambia County Jail Monday afternoon.

Ashley McArthur is facing a first degree murder charge for the death of 33-year old Taylor Wright, a private investigator and former police officer. Wright’s body was found off Britt Road, just west of County Road 97 near Muscogee Road in Cantonment.

McArthur was released at 3:37 p.m. on a $400,000 bond and is required to wear a GPS tracking device. Under the terms of her bond, she must live with her mother in Gulf Breeze and must stay within Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. She cannot posses a firearm, and she is forbidden from returning to the property on Britt Road in Cantnoment.

On September 14, 2017, Wright’s girlfriend reported that she was missing. The girlfriend gave a sworn statement to Pensacola Police that Wright had not been seen or heard from since September 8. Prior to her disappearance, Wright had told her girlfriend that she had placed a large amount of money in a safe deposit box that belonged to McArthur, her friend. Wright said she had tried to get her money back from McArthur several times with no success. Wright was trying to get the money back from McArthur for court proceedings related to Wright’s pending divorce.

On September 8, Wright and McArthur met so Wright could get her money. Wright and the girlfriend communicated back and forth via text until about 11:20 a.m. When the girlfriend did not hear back from Wright after numerous texts, she called McArthur. McArthur answered and said Wright could not come to the phone because she was riding a horse.

The girlfriend continued to try to communicate with Wright with no success until 7:58 p.m. when she received a text from Wright’s phone stating that she needed time to think and get her life on track.

On September 18, McArthur met with a Pensacola Police detective. She told the detective that she had picked Wright up on the morning of September 8 and they drove to various locations during the day before going to McArthur’s family property in East Milton to ride horses. She said they were there for about an hour before heading back to McArthur’s residence in the Pensacola city limits about 4:45 p.m. McArthur claimed that she went inside her house, and when came back out shortly, Wright was gone.

During the investigation, McArthur’s bank records and cell phone records were obtained. Bank records show that on August 16, McArthur deposited a cashier’s check in Wright’s name for the amount of $34,000 into McArthur’s personal checking account. The money has since been spent.

On September 14, Wright’s girlfriend reported that she was missing. The girlfriend gave a sworn statement to Pensacola Police that Wright had not been seen or heard from since September 8. Prior to her disappearance, Wright had told her girlfriend that she had placed a large amount of money in a safe deposit box that belonged to McArthur, her friend. Wright said she had tried to get her money back from McArthur several times with no success. Wright was trying to get the money back from McArthur for court proceedings related to Wright’s pending divorce.

On September 8, Wright and McArthur met so Wright could get her money. Wright and the girlfriend communicated back and forth via text until about 11:20 a.m. When the girlfriend did not hear back from Wright after numerous texts, she called McArthur. McArthur answered and said Wright could not come to the phone because she was riding a horse.

The girlfriend continued to try to communicate with Wright with no success until 7:58 p.m. when she received a text from Wright’s phone stating that she needed time to think and get her life on track.

On September 18, McArthur met with a Pensacola Police detective. She told the detective that she had picked Wright up on the morning of September 8 and they drove to various locations during the day before going to McArthur’s family property in East Milton to ride horses. She said they were there for about an hour before heading back to McArthur’s residence in the Pensacola city limits about 4:45 p.m. McArthur claimed that she went inside her house, and when came back out shortly, Wright was gone.

During the investigation, McArthur’s bank records and cell phone records were obtained. Bank records show that on August 16, McArthur deposited a cashier’s check in Wright’s name for the amount of $34,000 into McArthur’s personal checking account. They money has since been spent.

McArthur’s phone records never showed her in the area of the family property in East Milton, instead her phone showed her in the area of Beulah on September 8 from 11:52 a.m. until 1:44 p.m. and again from 2:40 p.m. until 3:33 p.m. Police discovered that McArthur’s family has property at 2201 Britt Road, in the same area as her phone indicated.

Pictured top and bottom: Taylor Wright. Pictured mugshot, inset: Ashley McArthur.

Comments

12 Responses to “Private Investigator Murder Suspect Released On Bond”

  1. Taylor’s Mom on February 10th, 2018 7:23 pm

    Judge Shackford set the bond. This family must have slot of influence. That murderer isn’t even under house arrest. She is free to run around 2 counties. I hear she feels emboldened because she got this low bond. How can a judge go from a million dollar
    bond to no bond to a low bond. All I know is if I lived in those counties I would keep my family close.

  2. Liberal Judges on February 8th, 2018 9:56 pm

    Amazing what judges will do for there own, makes me question which JUDGE allowed this must not have been very Noble of her

  3. Lou on February 7th, 2018 6:18 am

    Murder suspect out on bond? There’s a judge behind that decision…one that we are paying!

  4. Trocarman on February 7th, 2018 5:06 am

    Bond for 1st degree murder? Amazing
    Doubt that this killer will show up for anymore court appearances. What man posted $40,000 cash to get her out of jail? Or what man put up $400,000 property? Sort of expensive, don’t you think?

  5. Lifeforalife on February 6th, 2018 8:54 pm

    Such a sick pathetic county! How in the world do we hold people in jail for minor crimes when they could be out working turning their life around or at least an opportunity! This pathetic psycho burned his dads business down for money, got away with it, worked at sheriff office, was married to a cop, now this! We should take her on a long horse ride to talk it over with her! Ha, let her rot in hell!!!!

  6. Google is your friend on February 6th, 2018 6:12 pm

    Just google it curious, she previously worked as a Crime Scene Technician with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

  7. Shay on February 6th, 2018 5:37 pm

    @curious

    The uniform she has on in the picture looks like it has a Mobile Police Dept patch on it but previous articles said she was a former L.e.o in northwest florida. I thought I’d heard she was with PPD formerly. I could most certainly be wrong. Just a guess on both points

  8. mad as well you know on February 6th, 2018 3:30 pm

    Her Mommy will send her somewhere never to be found. They have plenty of money. She will never have to pay for this or the Arson that was her fathers Business he entrusted to her. Murderers should never be bonded out. What a shame!!

  9. Curious on February 6th, 2018 12:29 pm

    Did anyone ever find out where she was supposedly a Cop? or if she really was a cop or security somewhere? Its obviously not Pensacola Police Department (wrong uniform for that)

  10. Sidney on February 6th, 2018 9:27 am

    She should not have a bond for a charge like this.

  11. Bewildered on February 6th, 2018 8:53 am

    This woman spent $34 000 in one Month – Money That did not belong to her and killed to cover up her Transaction. I hope everyone in Gulf Breeze around her mother’s residence is on high alert. It does not matter how influential or financially secure her family is – if she spends money like this and is broke she is likely to do anything. Murder suspects should not get out on bail – but judges do not agree.

  12. My2Cents on February 6th, 2018 8:32 am

    Sad. She should not have been allowed bond.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News