Ashley Elkins: Missing Woman's Family Got Odd Texts Before Disappearance

A devastated family in Michigan is asking for the public's help in finding 30-year-old Ashley Elkins, who went missing last week after sending some odd text messages.

Police found Ashley's car, an older-model gray Chevy Malibu, in Roseville, Michigan, on Tuesday, not far from her ex-boyfriend's apartment complex, which is being treated by police as a crime scene. Ashley's last-known location was in Roseville, but she has yet to be found.

Ashley Elkins, 30, was last seen leaving her home in Warren, Michigan, on January 2. Her family are asking the public for help to find her. Warren Police Department

The Context

Elkins, a mother of two sons, is a hairdresser who works out of her home in Warren, Michigan. She was last seen leaving her home on January 2 to run errands.

Her ex-boyfriend's apartment in Roseville is being treated as a crime scene because Elkins' phone pinged to the complex where he lives on the day she was last seen.

What To Know

Elkins is described as a Black woman standing between 5 feet, 2 inches and 5 feet, 3 inches tall, and weighing 150 pounds.

Elkins' mother, Monika Elkin, told Detroit news station WXYZ that she texted her daughter on January 2 about a dream she had meant to tell her about.

Within the dream, Ashley came and took her mom's truck and left her car in the driveway, but when Monika checked the car was gone. It was later found in a grassy area with the trunk and hood open.

Ashley replied to this dream description almost immediately, writing "Awe, man."

Monika felt this was a strange and uncharacteristic response for Ashley, so she FaceTimed her, but Ashley did not answer.

Hours later, another family member said they got a text from Elkins stating that she was heading to a specific beauty supply store. Shortly after, her phone was turned off and then later turned back on, but the family said they have not heard from her since.

Her older sister, Alexis Elkins, told WXYZ that she had tracked Ashley's location through the Find My iPhone app. Ashley's last location showed her ex-boyfriend's apartment complex, but the family did not see Ashley, her car or her ex when they drove there.

"We knew that he had been, you know, trying to reach out to her, whether to get back with her, I don't know, so that's why people were suspicious," Elkins' uncle, Maurice Morton, told the outlet.

What People Are Saying

Morton told WXYZ: "We're talking about a mother of two children who are 10 and seven years old, who loves her children, loves her family. She's always in contact with her family, and to not be in contact or not have responded in five days or reached out, that's just uncommon."

Alexis Elkins told WXYZ: "We just want her back home to her kids and her family because we miss her. We are really worried about her."

What Happens Next

Anyone who has seen Ashley Elkins or has any information is asked to contact the Roseville Police Department at 586-775-2100 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.

Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com