Trial Opens in Ashley Elkins Disappearance

A jury was seated on November 12 in the trial of Deandre Booker, a 33-year-old Roseville man charged in the disappearance and alleged killing of Ashley Elkins. Opening statements are set for 9 a.m. on November 13 in Macomb County Circuit Court.

Elkins, 30, was observed departing her Warren residence on January 2, 2025. Her family said she was running errands, and her phone’s last known location was an address in Roseville where they said Booker lived. Her vehicle turned up in the vicinity five days afterward. Elkins’ body has not been recovered.

Prosecutors say DNA testing identified Elkins’ blood in the bathroom of Booker’s apartment, evidence they say supports their case. They have also cited internet searches and purchases they alleged Booker made before she disappeared, including searches about blood and orders for garbage bags, bleach and gloves.

Booker faces charges including first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, concealing a death, and mutilation and disinterment of a body. He was initially charged with lying to police and providing false information, then faced the murder charges in late January 2025. He has pleaded not guilty.

Booker was ordered to stand trial in January 2026 and was later found competent following a forensic evaluation. The trial follows jury selection that concluded the day before opening statements; the next stage is expected to present the prosecution’s and defense’s cases to the jury.