Friend of Illinois Woman, Who Was Allegedly Stabbed to Death by Her Ex, Says She Was ‘a Beacon of Light’

A friend of the Illinois woman who was allegedly stabbed to death by her ex-husband is speaking out for the first time since her death.

Police in Oswego first announced on Tuesday, Jan. 27, that a woman, later identified as 41-year-old Ashley Stewart, had been killed inside her home.

Stewart’s husband had called police to report that he had seen his wife being followed into their garage via a home security camera. She was found unresponsive at the scene soon after, and paramedics pronounced her dead.

Speaking with ABC7 Chicago on Friday, Jan. 30, Stewart’s friend, Robin Ross, remembered her as a loving mother and wife.

“Ashley was a beacon of light,” Ross said of Stewart, who was a mom of six.

A GoFundMe page was organized to help support Stewart’s family. “Her loss has left an immeasurable void in the lives of those who loved her,” the page states.

“Ashley’s husband, Adam Stewart, is now navigating the unimaginable: grieving the loss of his wife while becoming the sole provider and primary caregiver for their two-year-old son, his son Syler, as well as Ashley’s young children, who are now without either biological parent,” the GoFundMe adds.

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In a Jan. 28 press release, police in Oswego, located roughly 50 miles west of Chicago, said responding officers found Stewart “unresponsive” inside her home shortly after 1 p.m. local time, and paramedics soon pronounced her dead.

“The caller reported that he believed his wife was in danger after observing, via home surveillance, a male subject run after his wife into their garage,” police said. “The caller believed the male to be the wife’s ex-husband.”

About a half hour after finding the woman dead, Oswego Police detained the suspect once an officer spotted his car driving down a nearby road.

“The driver was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Oswego Police Department, where he is still in custody,” police said.

Investigators later identified the suspect as 44-year-old Ryan Dodd of Aurora, Ill.

“The investigation determined that Dodd, who was the victim’s ex-husband, followed her as she entered her residence and attacked and killed her with a knife,” police said on Thursday.

Following an autopsy, the Kendall County Coroner’s Office said that Stewart had sustained multiple “sharp-force injuries.”

In a video shared on social media, police said that the incident was “isolated,” and that there was no danger to the public.

Oswego police also asked local residents to review any security camera footage for photos or videos of Dodd in the afternoon following the incident.

“Residents who placed garbage cans at the curb before that time are asked to check in and around their cans and their yards for any items that do not belong to them or were not placed there intentionally. If you locate anything suspicious, do not touch it and immediately call 911,” investigators added.

Dodd has since been charged with first-degree murder, home invasion, armed violence, residential burglary and aggravated stalking. He is now in custody at the Kendall County Jail.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.