Memorial for Ashley Turton, former Hill staffer, to be held Friday

[avaistheone1]

Source: Washington Post

A memorial service for Ashley Turton, the lobbyist and former congressional staffer who was found dead early Monday morning following a fire in her car, has been scheduled for Friday afternoon.

The service will take place at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington at 3 p.m. Friday.

The sudden death of Turton, 37, came less than 48 hours after news of the attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) at a constituent event in Tucson. Both events have stunned Capitol Hill. Turton, who was married to senior White House aide Dan Turton, had been a former chief of staff to Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) before becoming a lobbyist for Progress Energy in 2007.



Read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/01/ashley-turton-former-hill-staf.html

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The wife of a key White House aide was found dead early Monday in a sport-utility vehicle that was heavily damaged by fire in the garage of the couple's Capitol Hill home, sources familiar with the incident said. The cause of her death is uncertain.

Ashley W. Turton, 37, an energy company lobbyist and former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), was found dead shortly before 5 a.m. in a burning BMW, the back end of which was partly out of the garage, as if the vehicle had been entering or leaving when the fire started, authorities said.

Authorities said her death appears to have resulted from a low-speed crash, an unknown medical condition, the fire, or some combination of the three.

"We have no evidence of any obvious malfeasance in her death at this time," said Capt. Michael Farish, of the D.C. police homicide unit. The department's major crash unit is handling most of the investigation for the police department.


http://voices.washingtonpost.com/crime-scene/paul-duggan/-the-wife-of-a.html?hpid=topnews

[hlthe2b]

1. I still find this incident to be almost unfathomable...

Do they know any more as to what caused it? Low speed crashes do not result in car fires and immolation. They just don't, despite the Hollywood portrayals.

[WhiteTara]

2. in a very expensive and safe vehicle

a bmw. And that there is no news about it is even more strange to me.

[avaistheone1]

4. I am no car expert

but think you are right. Safety and performance are the key reasons people purchase BMW as well as the status factor.

[WhiteTara]

6. and the silence. I know Tucson is sucking the oxygen

right now, but surely a crawl?

[avaistheone1]

3. I just added to my post

"Authorities said her death appears to have resulted from a low-speed crash, an unknown medical condition, the fire, or some combination of the three."

It is all very odd. I don't think authorities know much more at this point or at least they are not saying more.

Given this happened at her home wasn't her husband/family concerned that she wasn't home before 5am? I am not pointing fingers but it appears no one was concerned about her until her body was found in the early hours of Jan 10th. Perhaps I missed it or maybe that info simply hasn't been published.

[trud]

5. If she was out late at some event

the family may have gone to bed.