John Wonder, a 31-year-old man from Missouri, is currently facing charges of first-degree murder in connection with the brutal death of his wife, Ashli Ehrhardt, 29. The couple, who were in the midst of a divorce, had two children together.
Police reports indicate that Wonder is suspected of stabbing and strangling Ehrhardt on September 22 in the home they shared. The crime scene was particularly gruesome, with Wonder allegedly writing his name in blood on his wife’s body. After the murder, Wonder is said to have sent a disturbing message to his sister, in which he described the act as both “easy” and “satisfying.”
Concerns were raised when the couple failed to show up for work at their shared place of employment. This led to a welfare check by the police, who were also alerted by the couple’s employer. Ehrhardt’s parents and Wonder’s mother arrived at the scene with the responding officers.
Ehrhardt’s mother told police that Wonder had earlier in the day dropped off their two children, aged 2 and 4, at her home, which was a departure from his usual routine. The couple, who had been married since October 2019, had sought marriage counseling last year and had decided to divorce. Ehrhardt had plans to move out of their shared home on October 1.
Upon entering the home, Ehrhardt’s parents found her lifeless body in the downstairs laundry room. The police report noted that she was partially undressed, with a belt around her neck and multiple puncture wounds on her body. A butcher knife and a meat cleaver were found near her body.
Further investigation uncovered unsettling text messages sent by Wonder to his sister and a friend. In these messages, he expressed no remorse and detailed his plans to avoid the police. However, he was later arrested by Nebraska state police and is currently being held on a $1 million bond.
Ehrhardt’s mother shared her sorrow over her daughter’s death in a Facebook post, assuring that the couple’s children are safe and in their care. This tragic incident highlights the alarming rates of domestic violence in the United States, with nearly 20 people per minute being physically abused by an intimate partner, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.