Parrish Man Shot and Killed His Wife by Accident, Sentenced to Prison Time

Florida: A Parrish man, Blake Meadows, has pleaded no contest to charges of manslaughter and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, avoiding trial in the fatal shooting of his wife in 2021. The case, originally scheduled for trial on August 19, ended with Meadows accepting responsibility for the shooting that claimed the life of his wife, Ashley Meadows. According to court records, Circuit Court Judge Frederick Mercurio sentenced Meadows, 36, to 11 years in prison, with credit for time already served, and an additional five years of probation. The court also mandated that Meadows undergo substance abuse and mental health evaluations.

The Fatal Shooting in Parrish

On September 13, 2021, deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Meadows’ home in Parrish following a 911 call made by Blake Meadows, who claimed to have accidentally shot his wife. Upon arrival at the residence in the Silverleaf community, first responders found 30-year-old Ashley Meadows with a fatal gunshot wound to her face. She was discovered outside on the lanai and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Blake Meadows explained to investigators that Ashley had recently purchased an AR-15 pistol, and he was in the process of upgrading the firearm when the tragic accident occurred. Meadows stated that while attaching a sling and a holographic sight to the gun, it discharged unexpectedly when he set it down on the kitchen table. He claimed that the gun fired through a sliding glass door, striking his wife. Meadows immediately attempted CPR on Ashley and called 911. A neighbor rushed over to assist with CPR until emergency personnel arrived, but their efforts were in vain. However, inconsistencies in Meadows’ account of the incident led to further investigation.

Doubts Surrounding the Shooting

Detectives from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office grew skeptical of Meadows’ version of events after discovering a 9mm shell casing in a different location from where he claimed the AR-15 had fired. Meadows told investigators that he had placed the gun on the kitchen table near a highchair, but the casing was found near an archway leading to the dining area, far from the table.

The sheriff’s office enlisted a crime scene reconstruction team to analyze the evidence, which suggested that the shot was fired from an area near the archway, not the kitchen table as Meadows had described. Investigators questioned Meadows several times, but he maintained his story that the gun discharged from the table.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

In October 2021, detectives arrested Meadows, charging him with manslaughter with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court records, Meadows, a former military serviceman who completed a tour in Afghanistan, had a prior conviction for falsely reporting a crime in 2013, for which he served two years of probation.

Following the investigation, seven firearms were seized from Meadows’ home. With the no-contest plea, Meadows has accepted his fate, receiving an 11-year prison sentence along with five years of probation.