NH Woman, Friend Of Trish Haynes, Faces Reckless Conduct, Imprisonment, Other Charges

CONCORD, NH — One of the last people to reportedly see a missing and deceased New Hampshire woman alive was arrested by New Hampshire State Police Friday on several warrants and charges unrelated to the homicide investigation.

Around 9 p.m., a Troop C trooper attempted to stop a vehicle on Elm Street in Newport for having no license plates as well as a defective equipment violation. The vehicle, however, failed to stop, and a chase ensued, Amber Lagace, a public information officer for the department, said.

“Stop sticks were deployed several times to deflate the tires as the vehicle continued into Claremont and then back into Newport,” she said. “All four tires were eventually deflated however the operator still refused to stop. The vehicle continued at slow speeds and ultimately collided with a Claremont cruiser — which finally brought this dangerous driver’s flight to an end.”

Ashley E. Smith, 29, of Warner, was accused of driving the vehicle and was charged with two counts of reckless conduct and one count of falsifying evidence, both felonies, as well as disobeying an officer, false imprisonment, and operating with a suspended license. A man, who was inside the vehicle, was released “with no charges at this time,” Lagace said. Later, Ashley Smith was found to have three electronic bench warrants and a superior court warrant on two other charges.

State police were assisted by Newport, Claremont, and Cornish police, as well as Newport firefighters.

Ashley Smith, according to reports, was one of the last people to see Trish Haynes alive after she was living with her and her husband, Douglas Smith, a career criminal, rapist, and felon. Neither has spoken publicly about Haynes' disappearance except for a single interview Ashley Smith had with WMUR-TV in August 2018 when investigators searched the couple's property looking for clues in the missing woman's case.

Doug Smith is currently in prison, serving five to 10 years after pleading guilty to aggravated felonious sexual assault, a single felony and two misdemeanor wrongful voting, felony reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, a felon in possession of a firearm, and a felony duty to inform-subsequent charges in two different counties. He is serving concurrent sentences and could be out of prison as early as December 2025.

Haynes moved to New Hampshire in 2017 from Stuart, Florida, to stay with relatives after she attempted to rebuild her life. She was last seen in the Grafton-Danbury area in the spring of 2018. Investigators searched properties connected to the Smiths, including a Main Street in Grafton property, the last place Haynes lived before being killed.

Part of Haynes’ body was found in a Grants Pond in Grafton, inside a washer-dryer combination unit, in September 2018. The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office confirmed the remains were Haynes a year later, labeling the case a homicide. Family and friends of Haynes have been hosting rallies at the Statehouse the past few years requesting help with the investigation and for more information about the case to be released by the state.

Ashley Smith, according to posts on Patch and court records, has a criminal history dating back to her early 20s.

Ashley Smith was charged with criminal mischief twice, in August 2016 and July 2017, after incidents in Franklin. She was accused in one case of throwing a large rock at another person’s vehicle, causing more than $1,500 worth of damage to a door, and was indicted on the charge. The first charge was dropped in late 2016, while the second charge was dismissed in April 2018.

In March 2018, she was arrested, along with her husband, on theft by deception and receiving stolen property charges in Concord after an incident at Circle K.

In Croydon, in October 2019, Ashley Smith was arrested for violation of protective order and felony falsifying physical evidence charges. She was indicted on the charges later, and it was expected to go to a jury trial. However, in 2021 and 2022, competency hearings were scheduled and later dropped. A status conference was booked on May 17, she failed to appear, and a warrant was issued for her arrest. On July 5, Ashley Smith was arrested and her bail revoked. She was released a few days later. But two weeks later, Ashley Smith failed to appear at a hearing-motion to revoke bail, and she was arrested on Aug. 4. She also failed to appear at a bail hearing on Aug. 8 and another bail revocation hearing on Aug. 30. Ashley Smith was scheduled to appear in court again on Sept. 27 and Oct. 4.

Ashley Smith filed a civil case against Warner Police Chief William Chandler, Sgt. Ben Tokarz, Carl Fitzgerald, and the Warner Police Department in September 2020. Still, she failed to appear at the petition hearing on Sept. 24, 2020, and the case was dismissed. In November 2020, she filed a restraining order against all the parties, but that request was dismissed on Feb. 2, 2021.

In October 2021, she was picked up by Lebanon police but later, the charge was dropped.

The incident remains under investigation and anyone with any related information is asked to contact Trooper Washburn at Eamon.L.Washburn@dos.nh.gov.

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