Carolee Ashby

Today's Headline comes from the Syracuse Herald- Journal 

from Syracuse, NY

It reads Police Continue Probe for Fatal Hit-Run Auto

Dated November 2, 1968

     Darlene Ashby and her cousin Cheryl needed to go to the store. Darlene, who would be turning 15 years old that day, needed candles for her birthday cake. As the two girls chatted their way down the sidewalk, Darlene's four-year-old sister did her best to keep up. Don't you know little Carolee was just thrilled to be allowed to go with the big girls that day? On their way back from the store, the three girls stopped to buy ice cream, making this big adventure even sweeter for Carolee. 

  As they made their way home, there was a chill in the air and the children of the little town of Fulton, New York were abuzz. It was Halloween day, 1968, and Carolee was excited to go trick or treating. 

     The girls arrived at Second Street and stopped on the sidewalk to assess if it was safe to cross. As the traffic cleared, Cheryl walked briskly across, ahead of Darlene and Carolee. Darlene, being the good big sister she always was, was holding one of Carolee's hands as Carolee held her ice cream in the other. Carolee did the best she could to keep up as she tottled behind her sister. 

  These would be the very last moments of the life that Darlene had known without a heavy sadness in her heart every year her birthday came around.  

   As the girls crossed the street, a car came speeding out of nowhere. It missed Cheryl completely and just grazed Darlene's back, but it wouldn't fly by without taking a victim.  

    Carolee, who was at the back of the line, was struck so hard it knocked her 133 feet away from her sister. The driver didn't stop to see if she was okay, if he could help, to try to apologize. He didn't even tap his brakes. He just kept going. Carolee made it to the hospital but passed away shortly after arrival. 

  All her family wanted was to have Carolee back, to shake the sadness and be whole again.  But if they couldn't have that then they would at least like an apology, an explanation, an acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Anything but wondering if every stranger they passed on the street was the one that took away their Carolee. But if they couldn't have that then the only thing left was... justice.  

    Darlene was certainly traumatized by what she experienced that day but she did the best she could to help find the person who did this to Carolee. She was able to recall that the car was light colored with rectangular shaped taillights. It’s a miracle she even saw that much as fast as the car was going.

     The next day, police put up roadblocks on Second street from 6 to 7 pm, close to the time of the tragedy, trying to find someone who frequented that street. Maybe they saw something and just hadn't come forward. The car that hit Carolee would have obvious damage to the front left side. They went to the public for help. They searched the small town. They followed up on every tip. They stopped nearly 2000 vehicles and questioned hundreds of people. No effort was spared to find the person who committed this horrible deed.

     Police canvassed the area looking for any cars that matched the description given by Darlene. They added extra officers to patrol the streets to do so. They found several cars that could have matched the description.They even found one with front end damage but he was able to explain the damage was caused by hitting a fence post and was dismissed as a suspect.

     Despite their effort, the case went cold. It would sit on the shelves gathering dust until 2013 when a retired detective decided to try a new, modern approach. He turned to Facebook.

     And that’s when everything changed. A woman living in Florida saw the post. All the feelings of guilt came back like an icy cold wave. She knew her silence had helped a killer stay free for 44 years. She contacted the detective in charge and shared her story.

     She was 17 years old when she was living in Fulton. Someone, she did not name, came to her and asked for a favor. It was a family member of the perpetrator and they wanted her to provide this boy an alibi. Although they did not tell her why, she later put two and two together and realized her friend had been driving the car that killed little Carolee. She had refused to vouch for him but she also never told the police what she had been asked to do. Not until now.

     The boy, who was 17 at the time but now a man in his 60’s, was named Douglas Parkhurt. He had been driving the car. He was the one who had managed to elude authorities for 44 years.

     Police located Douglas Parkhurst living in Maine. He was now married with grown children. He invited the police at the door to come inside as if he had nothing to be afraid of. And the saddest part is, he didn’t. The statute of limitations had run out a long time ago. There was nothing authorities could do anymore. He had run from the truth for long enough that he had finally escaped it. 

     Even then he continued to deny it was him but police weren’t buying it. They knew they were on the right track as soon as they heard the name Douglas Parkhurst. You see, Douglas was one of the men they questioned in 1968. It was he who drove the car with front end damage. He claimed he hit a fence post and the police believed him. They didn’t believe him anymore.

     After several interviews he finally agreed to come clean. There was one condition though. He needed a signed statement from the DA guaranteeing he would not be prosecuted. Once he had it in his hands he began to spill.

     He had been driving the car. He and his brother had been drinking together. His brother was in the car but passed out drunk. Douglas claimed he had only had three beers before speeding down Second Street that day. When the accident happened he knew he hit something but he didn’t know what. It wasn’t until later he realized it was Carolee.

     Not long after that he went to Vietnam to serve in the war. When he came home he had to put a lot of things out of his mind and Carolee was one of them.    

     He included as part of his official statement to police: “I am oh so sorry. I can’t change anything, but I hope this apology will be accepted. I did not see the little Ashby girl. Please forgive me. I did not intentionally hit the little girl and I am sorry.”

     Carolee’s mother Marlene and sister Darlene were still alive. They finally got the apology they needed. Her father George and brother George Jr had passed away long before. The apology didn’t come soon enough for them.

     But the case wasn’t over yet. Douglas may have escaped the law but fate knew exactly where to find him. Five years after the confession and nearly 50 years after Carolee died, Douglas finally paid for his mistake.

     He was attending a little league game when, get this, a drunk woman drove onto the field. She was driving around wildly when Douglas ran out onto the field. He bravely pushed a group of kids out of her way, saving their lives. But just like with Darlene and Carolee, the group of kids was missed but he was not. She hit him. He died on the way to the hospital. 

So what do you think?

If he had served the jail time he should have, the path he took in life could have been completely altered. He may not have been there to save those kids. Do you think it was fate or karma?

Let me know in the comments