Katelynn's mom says Ashli Ford 'No hero'
'If she really has new information why is she selling it?'
SANDUSKY — Erie County’s chief probation officer told the mother of Katelynn Shepard she would instruct convicted podcaster Ashli Ford to scrub social media posts and podcasts containing speculation about the mysterious 2018 death of her daughter.
WATCH: Tricia Shepard still waits
Ford claims to have new evidence that an ex-boyfriend killed Katelynn Shepard, who died July 9, 2018, in a fiery, suspicious crash. Shepard’s body was discovered in the passenger seat of her pickup after it veered off the road and burst into flames near her home—a detail that remains unexplained by investigators.
There were no witnesses, and never any explanation from officials about what caused the accident or why the vehicle burst into flames. Her death remains unresolved.
Ford, however, is selling what she calls a “collection” of evidence about Katelynn at her Patreon page for $25. Nobody knows more about her daughter, and her final hours, than Tricia, nobody’s thought about that time more than she has. Ashli claims to know, but her basic facts and timeline are wrong, according to Tricia, and she’s not taking time, or bothering to, understand anything.
Formula for exploitation
The never-ending grief over the loss of Katelynn is already so overwhelming for her, Tricia said. She can’t believe someone would spread false information the way Ford is doing, “using my daughter’s death to make a buck.”
She want the probation department or the sheriff’s office to make Ford stop.
“If she really has new information why is she selling it?” Tricia asked. “Why is she trying to make money off my daughter’s death rather than turning it over to police and letting them do their jobs and get this case closed out?”
Prosecutors—and other critics—contend Ford exploits crime victims at social media with lurid speculation about crimes, about suspects, families and police that she rarely, if ever, substantiates. She often claims to be representing families as an advocate or an investigator and makes allegations that are demonstrably false, according to police, prosecutors and others. She also often portrays herself as a journalist.
Court’s discretion
Kelli Bias, the chief probation officer in Erie County, acknowledged she’s received complaints about Ford’s aggressive behavior since being placed on probation in December after getting convicted last year on four counts of intimidation for threatening to harm Norwalk city officials in a post at Facebook.
“I am looking into this and I have no comment at this time,” Bias responded on Thursday to a series of questions emailed to her earlier in the week.
Tricia Shepard said she’s asked Ford directly to stop claiming to be representing her family, and to stop speculating about Katelynn’s death and using her to make money. Since Bias told her she would instruct Ford to stop, Ford’s double-downed, however, making repeated posts promoting her Katelynn collection.
In her probation orders, Ford is instructed to get a job; specifically, she is to “maintain verifiable employment that is full time, minimum of 30 hours.” It’s not clear if her paid subscription service model promoting the same behavior that got her convicted last year, qualifies as “legitimate employment” for a convicted felon.
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