28-year-old Daniel Tejeda, of Providence, Rhode Island, was recently indicted on first-degree murder charges for the death of 24-year-old Ashley Masi. Masi was found unresponsive back in March by police doing a welfare check on her. Police discovered that Ms. Masi was working as a prostitute on Backpage. Investigators say that Tejada responded to her Backpage ad and somewhere along the line allegedly strangled her to death. Unfortunately Ms. Masi left behind three young children who are now in state care. Tejada is already in jail on unrelated charges.
Hopefully with the recent financial blows dealt to Backpage no further blood will be spilled over what Backpage calls a free speech issue.
UPDATE 10/27/2015: Tejada has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder.
UPDATE 4/18/2016: Tejada was convicted of first-degree murder.
UPDATE 6/20/2016: Last week Tejada was sentenced to life with parole possible in 25 years.
UPDATE 5/19/2022: I received an email from a cousin of Ashley Masi, who wanted to add this to her story.
Hi Trench, I’m just trying to correct a few things on your post about my cousin Ashley Masi, who was murdered 7 years ago today in 2015. (Trench’s note: I originally received this email in March) So the police weren’t doing a welfare check, I actually took her newborn out of the apartment while she was going to perform her services with the gentleman & when I returned I unfortunately was the one who found her body literally purple & naked from the waist down – with the zip tie embedded in her neck & called 911 resulting in the cops to respond. My cousin was a loving mother of 3 who I will forever mourn, & I appreciate your website putting the story up so that maybe other young women can see the unfortunate circumstances of sex work, the main reason I correct you is that I want these young girls to understand that even though it seems like an everyday frequent and normal source of income in this time we live in – that it could happen to them, and that THEIR lifetime family member could walk in and find THEM in the same condition. Thank you again, Trench!
No thanks are needed. Thank you for your story.
Real Crime with Trench Reynolds 