Ash brought to Kimball for status hearing

Vencil Ash was brought to the Kimball County District Courthouse for a status hearing concerning his upcoming re-trial the afternoon of Tuesday, February 6.

Ash is once again facing first degree murder charges for allegedly murdering Ryan Guitron of Fort Collins in 2003.

According to reports, on April 3, 2013 a five hour long standoff ended with the arrest of Ash by Cheyenne officers who were responding to a call of domestic violence and allegedly found Ash inside his home wielding a high-powered rifle with a scope. Officers evacuated the neighborhood and eventually were forced to use tear gas to end the standoff.

Through the investigation of the incident, authorities questioned Ash and his then girlfriend Kelly Meehan, which in turn led them on April 8 of that year, to human remains hidden at an abandoned farmstead south of Bushnell.

The remains were taken to Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff where they were examined and identified to be that of Ryan Eugene Guitron, 30.

Ash had been previousy convicted in 2012 of first-degree murder in Kimball County District Court for shooting Guitron in 2003 at an abandoned farm in Kimball County.

However, the Nebraska Supreme Court ordered a new trial in October of 2013, stating that in the original trial, the defense was not given proper time to prepare for Ash's wife, Kelly Meehan-Ash, to take the stand, stating that Ash's requests to postpone the trial so he could prepare a defense against the testimony should have been granted.

Ash came to Kimball for a status hearing on Tuesday, at which time Judge Derek C. Weimer set the date for Ash's retrial which will take place June 16 through June 20 in the Kimball Courthouse.

Jury selection for the trial will begin on June 13.

Ash is currently being represented by attorney Kelly Breen.