New details revealed about slain Lexington woman, 62, and her accused killer
Shortly before she was killed, a Lexington 62-year-old told someone that she was going to confront a man named “Bill” about money she was owed.
Weeks later, Ava Creech’s body was found in a closet of a Lexington apartment with her hands bound and her mouth and nose covered in duct tape, Det. Jeremy Adkins testified during a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Fayette County District Court.
William Parker Brown, 52, was charged with murder in Creech’s death earlier this month. Since October, Brown had been in the Fayette County jail on receiving stolen property and gun charges after he was seen driving Creech’s stolen car after she went missing.
Creech was first reported missing on Sept. 15. A person told police that they’d last spoken to Creech on Sept. 11 and that she’d been on her way to confront “Bill,” Adkins said.
During the investigation, police learned that Creech’s phone had last “pinged” in Clay City on Sept 12, Adkins said. Around that time, Brown was caught on surveillance video in that area, Adkins testified.
At some point in the investigation before Creech’s body was found, a witness called in a tip to police, saying that Brown knew Creech was dead and that he’d been there when it happened, Adkins testified. The witness said Brown told them that members of a “mafia” had killed Creech while Brown was present. But Adkins testified that he had no knowledge of that particular mafia existing and that all the evidence pointed to Brown.
Creech’s body was found in October when police executed a search warrant on her apartment, Adkins testified. There were trash bags stuffed with pillows on top of her in the closet, and plastic totes had been stacked in front of the closet doors, he said.
The evidence described during Wednesday’s hearing included Brown’s fingerprints on a mop at Creech’s apartment, Brown being caught on surveillance video driving Creech’s car and Brown having Creech’s medication bottles with him when police apprehended him, Adkins said.
An autopsy found that Creech had died from asphyxiation or blunt force trauma consistent with a hammer, Adkins said. Police found a hammer during their investigation and took it for analysis.
Brown, who also had an arrest warrant on methamphetamine trafficking charges out of Butler County, is being held in the Fayette County Detention Center on a $750,000 bond.
Brown’s defense attorney, Dan Parker, said during the hearing Wednesday that the evidence against his client was largely circumstantial, but ultimately Judge T. Bruce Bell found there was probable cause to send Brown’s case forward to a grand jury. The grand jury will then decide whether or not to indict Brown and send his case to Fayette County Circuit Court to be prepared for trial.
This story was originally published March 17, 2021 at 12:02 PM.
