On Friday, June 23, a sentencing was held for Ashlee Mardindale/Ward in which she was sentenced to a total of 28 years. In this trial, Martindale waived her right to a preliminary hearing and pleaded guilty to charges for her second felony DUI. Within this sentencing, there were two criminal charges that were being discussed. The first being CF-11-435, a second degree murder charge from 2011 due to driving under the influence, and the second being CF-22-479, Martindale’s most recent charge of driving under the influence.

On June 30, 2011, around 9 PM, officers from the Blackwell Police Department along with EMS were called to a wreck at the 4000 black of W. Doolin Ave (State Highway 11). Here officer John Mitchell, who testified in the sentencing, saw a 2010 Dodge pickup in the center median and a 2001 Dodge 4-door on the north side of the roadway in a cornfield. In the affidavit, Officer Mitchell observed that the car was badly damaged and seemed as though the pickup had struck the rear of the car at a high rate of speed, which was later confirmed by Officer Ingram who had training on how to read a crash site. It was later estimated that Martindale was traveling at a speed of roughly 95 miles per hour when she struck the back of the 2001 Dodge 4-door. That 4-door car held three people, young mother Destiny Turner, her friend Colleen Wood, and her daughter Maraya Turner. As Officer Mitchell approached the car, he saw both Colleen Wood and Destiny Turner who both appeared badly injured. Knowing Destiny Turner had a daughter, Officer Mitchell began looking for 2-year-old Maraya. The trunk of the vehicle was pushed up into the passenger compartment, completely concealing the backseat. After further inspection he found the child on the floorboard of the backseat. The backseat was crushed forward and she was pinned between the backseat and the front seats with a metal rod, debris from the trunk, impaling her back. Maraya was lifeless and not breathing.

Ashlee Martindale was incoherent and did not know where she was, according to the affidavit, and was determined to be under the influence of several drugs.

She was originally sentenced for 20 years in prison on this case, but after serving 10 years she was released, only to reoffend just over a year later. In her most recent DUI charge, Martindale was found on State Highway 11 east of Blackwell. The vehicle she was driving struck the guard rail and continued down the concrete bridge rail. State Trooper Adam Beck observed that she was intoxicated after performing field sobriety tests. Martindale pleaded guilty to the charge of her second DUI in Oklahoma.

During the sentencing, Officers Ingram Mitchell testified and Destiny Turner was allowed to make a victim impact statement on how her life was changed by what hap- pened.

“On June 30th, 2011, Mrs. Martindale/Ward took the best thing that ever happened to me. Although her actions leading up to Maraya’s (my daughter’s) death were construed to be an accident, it affected my life in every single way imaginable. I will never hear my daughter’s voice again. I’ll never experience her first day of school,. She will never play sports, never have a boyfriend, no sleepovers, nothing. After Maraya was taken from me my entire life was flipped completely upside down… I have spent the last 11 years spending birthdays and holidays at a cemetery and every single time I go it breaks my heart a little mor Maraya’s accident wasn’t her last DUI and it most definitely should have been.”

After hearing testimonies from each of the witnesses, Destiny Turner, and Ashlee Martindale/Ward, the Judge made his final decision and sentencing. Ashlee Martindale/Ward was found guilty and sentenced to serve the remaining 8 years of her original sentence and an additional 20 years for the new DUI case, to be served consecutively.