A block on social media, something millions of us do every single day without thinking twice. Maybe it’s an ex who won’t leave you alone. Maybe it’s that toxic friend from high school. Maybe it’s just someone whose vibe you ain’t feeling anymore. Click block. Move on with your life. But for 23-year-old Emma Collins, blocking someone on Tik Tok wasn’t just the end of a digital friendship. It was a death sentence.

 On the night of September 15th, 2023, Emma’s body was discovered in the parking lot of a suburban Target in Riverside County, California. She’d been stabbed 17 times. Her phone was clutched in her hand. And on that phone, a Tik Tok notification from the person who just murdered her. Her name was Ashley Monroe, 25 years old, aspiring influencer, and according to court documents, absolutely obsessed with a girl who wanted nothing to do with her.

Now, y’all might be thinking, how does someone go from getting blocked online to committing actual murder? Stick around because this case is one of the most disturbing examples of social media obsession turned deadly that I’ve ever covered. This is Women Justice Files, and today we’re diving deep into a case that’ll make you think twice about who you’re letting into your digital world.

Now, let’s rewind and talk about the woman at the center of this nightmare. Because here’s the thing about Ashley Monroe. On the surface, she looked like your average 20some trying to make it as a content creator. But underneath, there was something seriously disturbing brewing.

 Ashley Marie Monroe was born on March 3rd, 1998 in a quiet suburb of Sacramento, California. By all accounts, her childhood was pretty normal. Middleclass family, two parents who worked regular jobs. Her dad was an accountant. Her mom was a dental hygienist. She had one younger brother, Michael, who was three years her junior. Now, folks who knew the family back then described them as nice enough.

 The kind of people who kept their lawn trimmed showed up to neighborhood barbecues didn’t cause no drama. But here’s where things start getting interesting. Teachers from Ashley’s elementary and middle school years. They remembered her differently. One teacher who agreed to speak under condition of anonymity told investigators that Ashley had an intense need for attention even as a young child.

 She’d make up elaborate stories about her life, claiming her family was rich, that she’d been on TV, that celebrities were her cousins. When other kids didn’t believe her, she’d escalate, get angry, sometimes even violent. In the fourth grade, Ashley was suspended for 3 days after she pushed another girl down a flight of stairs.

 The reason that girl had called Ashley a liar in front of their entire class. By the time Ashley hit high school, the attention-seeking behavior had morphed into something else entirely. She became obsessed with popularity, with being seen, with being somebody. And y’all, this was right when social media was really taking off.

 Instagram was popping. Snapchat was the thing. And for someone like Ashley, who craved validation like oxygen, these platforms were like crack cocaine. She started posting constantly. selfies, outfit of the day posts, dramatic captions about her feelings. At first, she had a decent following, mostly classmates and friends of friends. But it wasn’t enough.

 It was never enough. According to her former best friend, Olivia Bennett, who testified during the trial, Ashley would spend hours, and I mean ho, checking her phone, refreshing her posts, counting likes, getting visibly upset if a photo didn’t perform the way she wanted. Olivia told the court she’d literally have a meltdown if she only got like 50 likes instead of a hundred.

 She’d delete the post and repost it at different times. She’d buy likes. Sometimes it was like watching someone gamble, you know? She couldn’t stop. After graduating high school in 2016, Ashley enrolled at Sacramento State University. She was supposedly studying communications, but according to academic records, she barely attended class.

 Her GPA by the end of her first year, 1.8. She was put on academic probation. But here’s what Ashley was focused on during her college years. Tik Tok. The app had launched and was absolutely exploding. And for someone like Ashley, who’d been chasing internet fame for years, this was her golden ticket. She started posting multiple times a day.

 Dance videos, lip-syncing, day in my life content, makeup tutorials, thirst traps, whatever was trending, she’d copy it within hours. And you know what? She actually started gaining some traction. By early 2019, she had about 15,000 followers. Not viral by any means, but enough to feed that validation she was so desperate for. Or so she thought.

 See, the thing about social media algorithms is they’re fickle as hell. One day, you’re getting thousands of views. The next day, crickets. And Ashley’s content started plateauing. Her growth stalled. New videos were barely breaking a,000 views. And y’all, this absolutely destroyed her. Friends said she became paranoid.

 She’d accused people of not sharing her content, of not supporting her, of being jealous of her success. But the real problem started when she became obsessed with other creators, specifically creators who were doing better than her. Ashley would spend hours analyzing other people’s accounts. She’d leave comments on their videos, at first friendly, then increasingly weird and demanding.

 She’d DM them constantly asking for collab opportunities, begging them to shout her out, offering to pay them for promotions. Several creators who received messages from Ashley during this time, period, described her as unhinged and creepy. One creator, who we’ll call Sarah, told investigators that Ashley sent her over 300 messages in a single month, despite never receiving a single response.

 Let that sink in for a second. This gal was sending 10 messages a day to someone who wasn’t even acknowledging her existence. The messages would start friendly. Hey girl, love your content. We should collab. Then they get more desperate. Did you see my last message? I think we’d be so good together. Please respond. Then angry. Wow. Okay.

 I see you’re answering other people but not me. That’s pretty rude. And finally threatening. You think you’re better than me. You’re not that special. Watch your back. In fact, Ashley had been reported to Tik Tok’s moderation team 17 times between 2019 and 2022 for harassment. She’d had three accounts permanently banned.

 She’d been served with two ceend desist letters from creators lawyers. This girl had a pattern and that pattern was about to turn deadly. Now, let’s talk about Emma Collins because Emma, she was everything Ashley wanted to be but never could. Emma was 23 years old in September of 2023. She was a nursing student at UC Riverside, working part-time at a local coffee shop to pay for tuition.

 She had a close-knit group of friends, a loving family, and a boyfriend of two years named Ryan Carter. But here’s the kicker. Emma also had a Tik Tok account. And unlike Ashley, who was desperately chasing fame, Emma’s content just naturally resonated with people. She posted about her life as a nursing student.

 study tips, coffee shop stories, wholesome content about her relationship. Nothing thirsty, nothing controversial, nothing trying too hard, just genuine, relatable content, and people loved it. By midm 2023, Emma had over 200,000 followers. Now, you can probably see where this is going. Ashley found Emma’s account sometime in early 2023, and she became absolutely obsessed.

 According to digital forensics experts who analyzed Ashley’s devices after her arrest, she had visited Emma’s profile over 4,000 times in a six-month period. She’d screen recorded dozens of Emma’s videos. She’d saved hundreds of photos. She had entire folders on her phone dedicated to Emma. It was straight up stalking, y’all.

 In March of 2023, Ashley sent Emma her first direct message. It seemed innocent enough. Hey, I love your content. I’m also trying to grow my account and would love to connect. Emma, being the kind person she was, responded politely, “Thank you so much. Good luck with your journey.” And that, ladies and gentlemen, was all the encouragement Ashley needed to go absolutely off the rails.

 Over the next three months, Ashley sent Emma over 600 messages. She’d comment on every single post. She’d go live on Tik Tok and talk about Emma like they were best friends. She’d make videos using Emma’s audio, tagging her repeatedly. Emma’s friends later testified that she found the behavior disturbing, but not threatening at first. She tried ignoring Ashley.

 She tried politely asking her to stop. She tried limiting who could message her. Nothing worked. So on July 8th, 2023, Emma did what any reasonable person would do. She blocked Ashley Monroe on Tik Tok. And that’s when everything went to hell. What Emma didn’t know was that she just triggered a woman who had built her entire identity around being seen, being acknowledged, being important.

 And when you take that away from someone like Ashley Monroe, they don’t just get upset, they get dangerous. But before we get to that horrific night in September, we need to understand exactly what happened in the two months between that block and the murder. Because y’all, the warning signs were everywhere.

 And nobody, not the police, not Tik Tok’s moderation team, not even Emma’s loved ones saw the storm that was coming. Stay with me because this is where the case gets really dark. July 8th, 2023, 11:47 p.m. That’s the exact moment Emma Collins hit the block button on Ashley Monroe’s profile.

 And according to phone records, it took exactly 4 minutes for Ashley to realize she’d been blocked. How do we know? Because at 11:51 p.m., Ashley made her first attempt to contact Emma through a backup account. See, Ashley had created no less than seven alternate Tik Tok accounts. The usernames were slight variations at Ashley Monroeo at Ashley Monroe official at Ashmoner Zeroe. You get the idea.

Over the next 72 hours, Ashley sent Emma messages from all seven accounts. When Emma blocked those, Ashley created 14 more. But it wasn’t just Tik Tok. Oh no, y’all. Ashley found Emma’s Instagram, her Twitter, her Facebook, her LinkedIn, even her Venmo. For God’s sake, this girl was relentless.

 And the messages, they went from desperate to disturbing real quick. Let me read you some of these because they’re important. July 9th, 1:33 a.m. Why did you block me? I thought we were friends. This is so hurtful. July 9th, 3:47 a.m. You think you’re too good for me now that you have followers? You’re not special. July 10th, 9:15 a.m. I made you.

 I was promoting your content before anyone knew who you were. You owe me. Now, that last message is particularly delusional because Ashley had literally never promoted Emma’s content. But in her mind, she’d created this entire fictional relationship where she was Emma’s mentor, her supporter, her friend.

 When Emma rejected that fiction by blocking her, it broke something in Ashley’s brain. Over the next few weeks, Ashley’s behavior escalated dramatically. She started making Tik Tok videos about fake friends and ungrateful people. She never mentioned Emma by name, but anyone with half a brain could tell who she was talking about. On July 15th, she posted a video that said, “Some people really need to be humbled.

Watch your back because karma knows your address. On July 22nd, I know where you work. I know where you live. You can’t hide from me. On August 3rd, one day someone’s going to snap and you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself. Now, y’all might be wondering, didn’t Emma go to the police? She absolutely did.

 On August 5th, 2023, Emma walked into the Riverside Police Department and filed a report for cyberstalking and harassment. She brought printouts of the messages, screenshots of the threatening posts, documentation of over 47 different accounts Ashley had used to contact her. And you know what the cops told her? There’s nothing we can do unless she makes a direct credible threat or shows up in person. Let that sink in.

 Emma had documented evidence of an escalating stalker. A woman who had publicly said she knew where Emma lived and worked. A woman who was clearly mentally unstable and obsessed. And the police couldn’t do nothing. Well, not until it was too late anyway. Emma tried to go about her normal life.

 She increased her privacy settings. She stopped posting her location. She varied her routes to work and school. Her boyfriend Ryan started picking her up when possible. Her friends formed a sort of informal protection network. But here’s the thing about stalkers, y’all. They’re patient. They watch. They wait. They find the cracks in your security.

 And Ashley Monroe, she was watching real close. According to data pulled from Ashley’s vehicle’s GPS system. Yeah, she was dumb enough to have that enabled. She drove past Emma’s apartment complex 17 times in August. She parked outside the coffee shop where Emma worked at least 30 times.

 She was surveilling her target, learning her patterns, waiting for the right moment. September 15th, 2023 started as a completely normal Friday for Emma Collins. 6:30 a.m. Her alarm went off. She got ready for her morning shift at Riverside Coffee Company. 700 a.m. She posted an Instagram story showing her coffee and the sunrise with the caption Friday vibes hot sparkles.

7:15 a.m. She arrived at work. According to her co-workers, she seemed happy, relaxed. She just aced an exam in her advanced pharmarmacology class the day before. It was supposed to be a good day, y’all. She was looking forward to the weekend. She and Ryan were planning to drive to the coast on Saturday.

 She had no idea she had less than 14 hours to live. While Emma was serving lattes and chatting with regular customers, Ashley Monroe was 15 miles away in her apartment, spiraling. According to text messages recovered from her phone, Ashley had been awake all night. At 3:47 a.m., she’d sent a message to her brother, Michael. I can’t sleep.

 Someone really hurt me, and I don’t know what to do. Michael responded, “Go to therapy, Ash, please.” Her reply: Therapy won’t fix this. Only justice will. Here’s where it gets really chilling. Ashley’s search history from that morning included. How long does it take to bleed out from stab wound? Security cameras in Target parking lot.

 Can police track you through Tik Tok? Temporary insanity defense success rate, y’all. She was literally googling how to get away with murder while planning an actual murder. The audacity is insane. At 10:23 a.m., Ashley went to a sporting goods store and purchased a fixed blade hunting knife, 7 in razor sharp. The cashier later testified that Ashley seemed oddly cheerful during the transaction.

 At 11:45 a.m., she filled up her car with gas. At 12:30 p.m., she withdrew $300 from an ATM. When asked why during her interrogation, she claimed she was planning to leave town after after she killed Emma. 300 p.m. Emma’s shift ended. She posted one final photo on Instagram with her coworker, Lisa, captioned, “Survived the Friday rush.

” That would be the last photo Emma ever posted. 3:15 p.m. Emma texted Ryan. Off work. Need to grab a few things at Target. Then I’m all yours for the weekend. Red. Ryan replied. Want me to come with Emma? Nah, it’s just going to be quick. Tampons and face wash law. I’ll be home in 30. She never made it home

. 3:47 p.m. Emma pulled into the Target parking lot on Magnolia Avenue in Riverside. Security footage shows her parking in row C, slot 47, near the garden center entrance. She grabbed her purse, checked her phone, and headed toward the store entrance. 3:49 p.m. A silver Honda Civic entered the same parking lot. The driver circled once, twice, then parked four spaces away from Emma’s car.

 That driver was Ashley Monroe. According to the security footage analyzed by investigators, Ashley sat in her car for the entire time Emma was inside Target. 43 minutes just waiting, watching the entrance. At one point, she got out of her car and walked closer to Emma’s vehicle, looking inside the windows, checking the surroundings.

 She was making sure nobody was around, making sure she’d have time to do what she came to do. 4:32 p.m. Emma finished her shopping. The receipt later recovered from her purse showed she bought tampons, face wash, a bag of hot Cheetos, and a candle. Just normal everyday things. The kind of stuff we all buy without thinking twice.

 She paid with her debit card. She smiled at the cashier. She was completely unaware that someone was waiting for her in that parking lot with a knife. 4:38 p.m. Emma exited Target and began walking toward her car. Security footage shows her looking at her phone, smiling, probably texting Ryan. She reached her car, clicked the key fob, the lights blinked, and that’s when Ashley Monroe stepped out from behind an SUV.

 What happened next was captured partially on Target’s parking lot security cameras, though the footage is grainy and partially obscured. But combined with forensic evidence and Ashley’s own eventual confession, investigators were able to reconstruct the following. I’m going to walk you through this, but I’m going to be respectful to Emma and her family.

This is hard to hear, but it’s important to understand the brutality of what Ashley did. Ashley approached Emma from behind, calling out her name. Emma turned around. Witnesses later said they heard her say, “Oh my god, what are you doing here?” Ashley responded with something witnesses couldn’t quite make out, but it was angry, loud, accusatory.

According to one witness who was loading groceries three cars away, a man named David Chen, Emma tried to back away, holding up her hands in a defensive posture. “Please leave me alone,” she said. “I’ve called the police about you. Just leave me alone.” That’s when Ashley lunged.

 The first stab wound hit Emma in her left shoulder as she tried to turn away. The second hit her upper back. She screamed loud enough that multiple people heard it. David Chen immediately pulled out his phone and called 911. The timestamp on that call, 4:39 p.m. and 47 seconds. Emma fell to the ground and Ashley didn’t stop. The coroner’s report documented 17 stab wounds total.

Chest, back, arms, hands. Defensive wounds showing Emma fought for her life. One wound pierced her lung. Another nicked her heart. The fatal wound severed her corateed artery. David Chen, that witness who called 911. His voice on that call is absolutely haunting. He’s yelling. Someone’s being stabbed. Target parking lot on Magnolia.

Oh my god. She’s not stopping. She just keeps stabbing her. The dispatcher is trying to get information. Sir, is the attacker still there? Yes, she’s Wait, she’s running. She’s running to her car. At 4:41 p.m., Ashley Monroe got into her silver Honda Civic and fled the scene. Multiple witnesses got her license plate number.

 Security cameras captured her vehicle from multiple angles, but the damage was already done. 4:44 p.m. The first police unit arrived on scene. 4:46 p.m. Paramedics arrived and began emergency treatment, but Emma had lost too much blood. Her injuries were too severe. 4:53 p.m. Emma Collins was pronounced dead at the scene. 23 years old with her whole life ahead of her.

Dead in a Target parking lot because she blocked someone on Tik Tok. When investigators processed the crime scene, they found Emma’s phone still clutched in her right hand. Her thumb was still touching the screen like she’d been trying to call for help. And on that screen, a tick- tock notification from one of Ashley’s burner accounts sent just minutes before the attack.

 See you soon smiling face with smiling eyes. Y’all, the premeditation here is absolutely chilling. Ashley had sent that message knowing she was about to kill Emma. It was like some sick way of announcing her presence, of making sure Emma knew this was personal. But here’s where Ashley made her fatal mistake. See, she thought she’d planned the perfect crime.

 She thought she’d get away with it. She was dead wrong. Within minutes of the attack, police had issued a bolo be on the lookout for Ashley’s vehicle. They had her license plate. They had her description from multiple witnesses. They had her on video. This girl really thought she could just drive away and vanish.

 In 2023, with cameras everywhere and digital footprints tattooed all over this case. The delusion is unreal. 5:47 p.m. A patrol unit spotted Ashley’s Honda Civic parked outside her apartment complex in Sacramento, about an hour and a half away from the crime scene. Officers approached the vehicle cautiously. The driver’s side door was open.

 The interior light was on. And there, visible in the passenger seat, was a hunting knife covered in blood. She didn’t even hide the murder weapon. Officers knocked on apartment 2 billion. No answer. They knocked again. Ashley Monroe, this is the Riverside Police Department. We need to speak with you. They could hear movement inside, water running, shuffling sounds.

 Here’s what’s crazy. Ashley was inside her apartment washing Emma’s blood off her hands and clothes, knowing the cops were literally at her door. The audacity. The absolute psychotic audacity. After 3 minutes of knocking and announcing their presence, Ashley opened the door. She was wearing a bathrobe. Her hair was wet.

 Her hands and arms had visible scratches. Defense wounds from Emma fighting back. Officer John Martinez, who was first through the door, later testified. I asked her where she’d been that afternoon. She looked me straight in the eye and said, “I’ve been home all day.” She didn’t even blink. Just straight up lied like it was nothing.

 Ashley Monroe, you’re under arrest for the murder of Emma Collins. You have the right to remain silent. And y’all, you won’t believe what she did next. She smiled. Multiple officers reported that as she was being handcuffed, Ashley had this weird satisfied smile on her face, like she’d accomplished something, like she’d won some kind of sick game.

 It’s the kind of detail that makes your blood run cold. 5:58 p.m. Ashley was transported to Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for booking and interrogation. 6:15 p.m. Ryan Carter was notified of Emma’s death. The responding officer later said Ryan collapsed when he heard the news. Just straight up fell to his knees and screamed.

 His whole world had just shattered. 6:30 p.m. Emma’s parents, Karen and Thomas Collins, received the call no parent should ever get. And while this devastated family was processing the worst news of their lives, Ashley Monroe was sitting in an interrogation room about to put on one of the most disturbing performances you’ll ever hear.

 Now, before we get into that interrogation, because trust me, it’s wild. I got to mention something. If you’re finding this deep dive valuable and you appreciate the work that goes into researching these cases, please hit that subscribe button. It helps us continue bringing you these thoroughly researched stories. And drop a like if you’re still with me because we’re about to get into the investigation and interrogation and it’s going to get intense.

 All right, let’s talk about how this case unraveled in real time. September 15th, 2023, 700 p.m. Detective Linda Harper and Detective Mark Williams walked into interrogation room 3 at the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Sitting across the metal table with her hands cuffed to a ring bolted to the table itself was Ashley Monroe.

 According to the official interrogation transcript, which was later played in its entirety during the trial, Ashley was calm. Too calm. Like eerily, disturbingly calm. Detective Harper started with the standard procedure. Ashley, you’ve been read your Miranda rights. Do you understand those rights? Yes. Do you wish to wave those rights and speak with us without an attorney present? Now, this is where any person with half a brain cell would say, “I want a lawyer.

” Right? like Crime Defense 101. Shut your mouth and get legal representation. Not Ashley. She said, “I don’t need a lawyer because I didn’t do anything wrong.” For the next 4 hours, detectives walked Ashley through her day. And y’all, she lied about everything confidently, consistently, with this deadeyed stare that made investigators skin crawl.

 Let me walk you through the progression of her lies because watching her story fall apart is almost poetic justice. Detective Williams started with an easy question. Where were you this afternoon between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m.? Ashley, I was at home. I’ve been home all day. Detective Williams. All day. You didn’t leave your apartment at all.

 Ashley, nope. I was catching up on some TV shows. I haven’t left the house since yesterday. Okay, so that’s lie number one. We already know from witness testimony, security footage, and GPS data that she was absolutely at that Target parking lot. Detective Harper, so you’re saying if we check surveillance footage from businesses around Riverside, we won’t see you anywhere, Ashley. Nope, because I wasn’t there.

Detective Harper then slid a receipt across the table. What about this receipt from Big Five Sporting Goods in Sacramento this morning for a hunting knife? That’s your signature, isn’t it? Y’all should have seen how quick she had to pivot. The transcript says she was quiet for a full 13 seconds before responding. Ashley. Oh, right.

 I forgot about that. Yeah, I went to the store this morning, but then I came home. Detective Williams. So, you did leave your apartment, Ashley. Well, yeah, but just for like an hour. Then I was home the rest of the day. Lie number two revised to lie number three. This is where Detective Williams really started applying pressure.

 He pulled out a print out of GPS data from Ashley’s vehicle. Miss Monroe, your car has a built-in GPS system. And according to this data, your vehicle was at the following locations today. He read off the list. 10:23 a.m. Big Five Sporting Goods, Sacramento, 11:45 a.m. Shell Gas Station, Interstate 512:30 p.m.

 Bank of America, ATM, Riverside, 1:15 p.m. McDonald’s drive-thru, Riverside, 3:42 p.m. Target parking lot, Magnolia Avenue, Riverside. The transcript notes that Ashley went pale at this point, like visibly lost color in her face. But did she confess? Nah. This girl doubled down. Ashley, that’s impossible. Someone must have stolen my car.

 Detective Harper, your car was stolen, Ashley. Yeah, I mean, I guess. I didn’t know until now, but yeah, someone must have taken it. Detective Williams. When did this supposed theft occur? Ashley. Um, this morning. After I went to the sporting goods store. So, let me get this straight. In Ashley’s revised story, she went to buy a knife, came home, someone stole her car, drove it to Riverside, murdered someone, then returned it to her apartment complex, parked it with the murder weapon still inside, and she didn’t notice any of this until police

told her. The stupidity is actually impressive. Detective Harper wasn’t having it. She laid out crime scene photos tastefully, avoiding the most graphic images, but enough to show the brutality. Emma Collins, 23 years old, nursing student, stabbed 17 times in the Target parking lot at 4:39 p.m. today. Multiple witnesses saw the attacker, described her as a white female, mid20s, brown hair, approximately 5’6, wearing a black hoodie and jeans.

 She slid another photo across. That description match anyone you know. According to the transcript, Ashley stared at the photos for a solid minute without saying anything. Her jaw was clenched. Her hands were shaking. Whether from adrenaline, fear, or rage, nobody could tell. Finally, she said, “I don’t know who that is.” Lie number four.

 Detective Williams pulled out his next piece of evidence. a thick folder containing printouts of every message, every post, every interaction between Ashley and Emma over the past seven months. 647 messages. You don’t know Emma Collins. Then why did you send her 647 messages? Why did you create 21 different Tik Tok accounts to contact her after she blocked you? Why did you post videos threatening her? He started reading them aloud.

 I know where you work. I know where you live. You can’t hide from me. One day, someone’s going to snap and you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself. See you soon. Smiling face with smiling eyes sent at 4:37 p.m. today, 2 minutes before Emma was attacked. The transcript notes that Ashley’s demeanor completely changed at this moment.

 The fake confusion dropped, the lies stopped, and what came out instead, pure rage. Ashley, she deserved it. Y’all, that’s a direct quote from the official transcript. Three words that absolutely demolished any chance of claiming innocence or self-defense or temporary insanity. Detective Harper, what did you say, Ashley? I said she deserved it. She was fake.

 She was using people to get famous. She blocked me after I supported her. She humiliated me. This is when Ashley started spiraling into a full confession. Not because she felt guilty, but because she genuinely believed she was justified. Over the next hour, she laid out everything. How she’d been following Emma for months.

 How the block had ruined her life. How she’d been planning to confront Emma for weeks. How she’d driven to Riverside specifically to find her. She used the word confront over and over like she was trying to minimize what she actually did. But when Detective Williams pressed her, confront her with a knife, she got defensive. Ashley, I wasn’t going to use it.

 I just wanted to scare her. Detective Williams, you stabbed her 17 times. Explain how that’s just scaring her. And that’s when Ashley finally broke down. Not with remorse, not with guilt, but with self-pity. She started crying, saying things like, “My life is ruined. Nobody understands how hard it is to be rejected like that. She made me do this.

This is her fault. This is her fault. The absolute narcissism. The complete inability to take responsibility. Even while confessing to murder, she was making herself the victim. Detective Harper, who’d been in law enforcement for 19 years, later testified that Ashley’s interrogation was one of the most disturbing she’d ever conducted.

She showed no empathy for Emma whatsoever. Everything was about how this affected her, her reputation, her feelings, her life. It was chilling. While Ashley was busy digging her own grave in that interrogation room, forensics teams were building an absolutely airtight case. Let’s talk about the evidence because y’all, there was so much evidence.

 This girl left so many breadcrumbs, she might as well have drawn the cops a map. the murder weapon. A 7-in hunting knife recovered from Ashley’s vehicle. Emma’s blood was on the blade. Ashley’s fingerprints were on the handle. DNA from both women was found on the grip. Ashley’s clothing, a black hoodie and jeans found in a trash bag in her apartment.

 Both were soaked with blood. Forensic testing confirmed it was Emma’s blood. The splatter pattern indicated close range repeated stabbing motions. Security footage from Target showing Ashley’s vehicle entering the parking lot, parking near Emma’s car and fleeing the scene. Multiple angles, multiple cameras, crystal clear footage.

Eyewitness testimony from David Chen and four other people who saw the attack or saw Ashley fleeing. GPS data from Ashley’s vehicle tracking her movements throughout the day, placing her at the scene of the crime at the exact time of the murder. Cell phone data showing Ashley’s phone was at the target location from 

3:49 p.m. to 4:41 p.m. The Tik Tok message sent from Ashley’s burner account to Emma at 4:37 p.m. See you soon smiling face with smiling eyes, 647 messages, 21 fake accounts, and months of documented stalking behavior. Google search history showing premeditation, searches about stabbing, security cameras, and legal defenses conducted hours before the murder.

Ashley’s own confession recorded on video where she admitted to planning the confrontation and attacking Emma. That’s not evidence, that’s a mountain of evidence. The prosecution later said this was one of the most clear-cut cases they’d ever worked. There was no mystery, no doubt, no room for alternative theories.

 Ashley Monroe stalked Emma Collins, planned her murder, carried it out in broad daylight, and left evidence everywhere. At 11:47 p.m. on September 15th, 2023, exactly 12 hours after Emma had blocked her on Tik Tok, Ashley Monroe was officially booked into Riverside County Jail on charges of firstdegree murder with special circumstances.

 The special circumstances, lying in weight and stalking, both of which in California can make someone eligible for life without parole. The case hit the news immediately. And I mean immediately. By the next morning, every major news outlet in California was covering it. Tik Tok obsession turns deadly. Woman murdered over social media block.

Influencer wannabe charged with brutal stabbing. And of course, Tik Tok absolutely exploded with coverage. True crime creators, commentary channels, news outlets, everybody was talking about this case. The hashtag number justice4 Emma got over 200 million views in the first week. People were rightfully outraged, horrified, demanding accountability not just from Ashley but from Tik Tok itself for not taking Emma’s report seriously.

 While the internet was buzzing with opinions and hot takes, Emma’s family and friends were planning her funeral. September 22nd, 2023, 7 days after her murder, over 300 people attended Emma Collins memorial service at Riverside Community Church. Her boyfriend Ryan gave a eulogy that had everyone in tears.

 He talked about how Emma lit up every room she entered, how she was passionate about becoming a nurse because she wanted to help people, how she had this infectious laugh that made everyone around her happy. He ended by saying, “Emma blocked someone on an app. That’s it. That’s all she did.

 And for that, her life was taken. How is that fair? How does that make any sense? It doesn’t It doesn’t make any sense at all.” Meanwhile, the legal machine was moving forward. Ashley’s arraignment was set for September 29th, 2023. Ashley’s family had hired a defense attorney, some guy named Paul Shaw, who’d built his reputation defending difficult cases.

 His strategy claim Ashley was mentally ill and didn’t understand what she was doing. Yeah, the insanity defense. Because apparently being obsessed with social media fame and not being able to handle rejection equals legal insanity. Now, let me be clear. Mental illness is real. Depression is real. Anxiety is real. And people struggling with those conditions deserve compassion and treatment.

 But you know what? Ain’t mental illness. Being a narcissistic, entitled, violent stalker who can’t handle being told no. At the arraignment, Ashley plead not guilty by reason of insanity. The judge ordered a psychological evaluation, standard procedure for that type of plea. Over the next two months, Ashley was evaluated by three separate forensic psychologists.

 Their reports, all three concluded the same thing. Ashley Monroe was legally sane at the time of the murder. Dr. Helen Vaughn’s report stated, “While Miss Monroe displays narcissistic personality traits and possible antisocial tendencies, she clearly understood the nature and consequences of her actions. She planned the attack, took steps to avoid detection, and demonstrated awareness that what she was doing was illegal.

 In other words, she knew exactly what she was doing. She knew it was wrong. She did it anyway. That ain’t insanity. That’s murder. As the case moved toward trial, the prosecution was building their timeline, their witness list, their evidence presentation. Lead prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Nancy Foster, was known for her meticulous preparation and her ability to connect with juries.

 She’d prosecuted over 40 homicide cases with a conviction rate of 87%. And this case, this was personal for her. She’d seen a lot of horrific crimes, but something about Emma’s murder, the senselessness of it, the social media angle, the victim blaming really got to her. In a pre-trial interview, she said, “This case represents something deeply disturbing about our culture.

 A young woman was murdered because she set a boundary that should terrify all of us.” On the defense side, Paul Shaw knew he had an uphill battle. The evidence was overwhelming. His client had confessed. The insanity defense had been rejected. His only hope, convince the jury that this was a crime of passion, not premeditated murder.

 Argue for secondderee murder instead of firstderee. Try to avoid the life without parole sentence. Good luck with that. When your client googled how long to bleed out from stab wound the morning of the murder, December 4th, 2023 was set as the trial date. three months after Emma’s murder. And as that date approached, the nation was watching.

This wasn’t just a murder trial. This was a referendum on social media culture, on parasocial relationships, on the dark side of internet fame. The trial of Ashley Monroe was about to begin. But before we get into that courtroom drama, and trust me, there’s plenty of it. Quick reminder to drop a comment below with your thoughts on this case.

 Do you think social media platforms need to do more to protect users from stalkers? Should Tik Tok be held liable for not acting on Emma’s reports? I want to hear what y’all think. All right, let’s talk about the trial. December 4th, 2023 9 a.m. The people of California versus Ashley Marie Monroe officially began in Department 62 of Riverside County Superior Court.

presiding judge, the Honorable Susan Morrison, known for running a tight courtroom and having zero tolerance for theatrics. The jury had been selected over the previous week. Seven women, five men, ages ranging from 26 to 68, a diverse group representing the community. All of them about to hear one of the most disturbing cases Riverside County had seen in years.

 The courtroom was packed. Emma’s family sat in the front row on the left side. Her parents, her boyfriend Ryan, her younger sister Anna, and about 15 close friends and relatives. On the right side, Ashley’s parents and her brother Michael. According to courtroom reporters, they looked devastated, embarrassed, like they couldn’t believe their daughter had done this.

 And then there was Ashley herself. She was dressed in business casual clothes provided by her defense team, a navy blue blouse and gray slacks. Her hair was styled. Her makeup was done. She was putting on a show, y’all. Trying to look sympathetic, remorseful, stable. But anyone who’d seen that interrogation video, they knew what was really underneath that costume.

At 9:15 a.m., Deputy District Attorney Nancy Foster stood to deliver the prosecution’s opening statement. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury over the next several days, you’re going to hear a story that sounds like it came from a nightmare. A young woman, a nursing student with her whole life ahead of her, brutally murdered in a parking lot in broad daylight.

 Why? Because she clicked a button on a social media app. Emma Collins blocked Ashley Monroe on Tik Tok. That’s it. That’s the crime that Emma committed. And for that, she was stabbed 17 times and left to die on the pavement. Foster walked the jury through the timeline. The obsession, the stalking, the threatening messages, the purchase of the knife, the premeditated drive to Riverside, the attack, the attempted coverup.

 She showed them evidence photo after evidence photo, GPS data, security footage, the interrogation video where Ashley literally said she deserved it. Foster concluded her opening by saying, “The defense is going to try to convince you that Ashley Monroe didn’t know what she was doing, that she was mentally ill, that this was somehow a moment of passion or insanity.

 But the evidence will show you something completely different. This was calculated. This was planned. This was premeditated murder. And when you’ve heard all the evidence, we’re confident you’ll return a verdict of guilty of firstdegree murder with special circumstances. Paul Shaw’s opening statement took a completely different approach.

 He went with the sympathy angle, trying to humanize Ashley and paint her as a victim of mental illness. Ladies and gentlemen, what happened to Emma Collins was a tragedy. Nobody is disputing that. But what you need to understand is that Ashley Monroe is also a victim. A victim of severe mental health issues that went untreated for years.

 Shaw continued, “Ashley suffers from severe depression, anxiety, and an internet addiction that consumed her entire life. She lost touch with reality. She couldn’t distinguish between online interactions and real relationships. And on September 15th, she had a psychotic break that led to an unthinkable act. A psychotic break.

That’s what he called 17 stab wounds and months of premeditated stalking. A psychotic break. Shaw argued for secondderee murder, claiming there was no premeditation, just a sudden, uncontrollable moment of violence. The prosecution’s case took 6 days to present. They called 23 witnesses. David Chen, the eyewitness who called 911, described hearing Emma scream, seeing Ashley on top of her, stabbing her over and over.

 He broke down crying on the stand when he said, “I tried to run over to help, but by the time I got close, the attacker was already running to her car. I knelt next to Emma and she looked at me and said, “Help me.” and then she just stopped breathing. Olivia Bennett, Ashley’s former best friend, testified about Ashley’s obsession with social media, her narcissistic behavior, her inability to handle rejection.

 She told the jury, “Ashley always had to be the center of attention. If someone else was getting praise or followers or whatever, she’d get jealous and mean. She once stopped talking to me for a month because I didn’t repost her Tik Tok.” She also testified that Ashley had talked about Emma specifically, saying things like, “She thinks she’s so special and one day she’ll realize she’s not better than me.

” Ryan Carter, Emma’s boyfriend, talked about Emma’s fear of Ashley in the weeks leading up to the murder, how she’d gone to the police, how she’d increased her security, how she’d told Ryan, “I’m scared she’s going to do something crazy.” Ryan said, “The last text I got from her was, “I’ll be home in 30.” She never came home.

 I waited for her. I called her. And then the police showed up at my door. Dr. Andrew Feldman, digital forensics expert, walked the jury through Ashley’s digital footprint. Every message, every fake account, every threatening post, the Google searches about stabbing and getting away with murder.

 He presented a timeline showing that Ashley had searched Target parking lot security cameras just 2 days before the murder, proving she’d been planning to attack Emma at that specific location. Dr. Rachel Tran, forensic pathologist, explained each of Emma’s 17 stab wounds, which ones were defensive, which ones were fatal.

 She testified that based on the wound patterns and depth, the attack lasted approximately 90 seconds. 90 seconds of sustained brutal violence. Detective Linda Harper, lead investigator, walked the jury through the investigation from start to finish, and the prosecution played the entire 4-hour interrogation video. On December 11th, after 6 days of testimony, the prosecution rested their case.

 Now it was the defense’s turn. Paul Shaw called only six witnesses. Dr. Richard Hammond, a psychologist hired by the defense, testified that Ashley suffered from severe depression, anxiety, and what he called internet use disorder, basically social media addiction. He claimed these conditions impaired her judgment and made her unable to fully appreciate the consequences of her actions.

 On cross-examination, Nancy Foster pushed back hard. Hammond eventually admitted she understood on some level yes. Patricia Monroe, Ashley’s mother, talked about Ashley’s struggles, her obsession with being liked and accepted. On cross, Foster asked, “Mrs. Monroe, did your daughter ever receive treatment for these mental health issues you’ve described?” Patricia, we suggested it several times, but she always refused.

 She said there was nothing wrong with her. After only 3 days, the defense rested. December 14th. Closing arguments. Nancy Foster went through the timeline again. Ashley Googled how to kill someone. Bought a knife. Drove to Emma’s town. Waited 43 minutes. Sent see you soon. Smiling face with smiling eyes before attacking. Stabbed Emma 17 times. Fled.

 Hid evidence. Lied to police. Does that sound like someone who didn’t know what they were doing? Or does that sound like someone who knew exactly what they were doing and hoped they could get away with it? Foster ended by saying Emma’s life was taken because she set a boundary with someone who couldn’t handle rejection and asked the jury to find Ashley guilty of firstdegree murder with special circumstances.

 Paul Shaw argued it wasn’t premeditated. He asked for seconddegree murder, calling it a terrible, tragic mistake. A mistake. Judge Morrison instructed the jury on the law and sent them to deliberate. They deliberated for 7 hours. On December 15th, 2023, the courtroom filled again. Judge Morrison, has the jury reached a verdict? Yes, your honor, we have. We find the defendant guilty.

Emma’s family erupted in tears and embraces. Ashley’s mother buried her face in her hands. Ashley showed no reaction. The judge set sentencing for January 12th, 2024. The verdict made national news. Social media exploded again. Emma’s family finally felt like they’d gotten some measure of justice. January 12th, 2024. Sentencing day.

Emma’s mother, Karen, spoke about her daughter, about setting one less plate at dinner, about a piece of her soul being taken. Ryan said Emma and he were planning to get engaged. He’d already bought the ring. He was going to propose on Christmas Eve. Instead, he spent Christmas visiting her grave.

 He looked at Ashley and said, “You took everything from me for what? Because she blocked you on an app.” After victim impact statements, Judge Morrison sentenced Ashley Monroe to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 25 years. As Baleiffs led Ashley out, she finally cried tears of self-pity. She mouthed, “I’m sorry.

 Too little, too late.” Outside, Emma’s family spoke to the press, saying, “The verdict won’t bring Emma back, but it ensures her killer can’t hurt anyone else.” Ashley Monroe is currently incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chachilla, serving her life sentence. Appeals have been denied.

 She will never be eligible for parole. So, let’s talk about the psychology behind this case because it’s important to understand how someone becomes capable of something like this. Forensic psychologists identified factors: narcissistic personality traits, parasocial obsession, algorithm-driven reinforcement, and inability to separate online rejection from realworld boundaries.

 But millions of people struggle and never commit murder. At the end of the day, Ashley made a choice. She chose violence. So, what can we learn from this case? Take online harassment seriously. Document everything. Use privacy settings. Block and don’t engage. Trust your gut. Create a safety network.

 And honestly, social media platforms need to do way better. Tik Tok had multiple reports and still the harassment continued through endless new accounts. That needs to change. Emma Collins family established a scholarship fund in her name at UC Riverside for nursing students. Emma’s legacy continues through the lives those students will touch.

 This case shook a lot of people because it highlighted how something as simple as a social media block can trigger someone with the wrong mindset. It showed the dark side of internet culture where boundaries are seen as attacks and rejection can spark deadly rage. But it also showed that justice can still work when done right.

The investigation was thorough. The trial was fair. The verdict was correct and a killer was held accountable. That matters. So that’s the case of Ashley Monroe and Emma Collins. A tick- tock obsession that turned into a real life nightmare. A block button that became a death sentence.

 A young woman full of potential who lost her life over absolutely nothing. What do you think about this case? Should social media platforms be held liable when they fail to protect users from documented stalkers? Should there be stricter laws about online harassment? Drop your thoughts in the comments below. I read every single one.

 If you’re new here, welcome to Women Justice Files. We cover true crime cases with a focus on women, both as perpetrators and victims, because these stories need to be told. Hit that subscribe button and turn on notifications so you don’t miss our next deep dive. And if you want to support the channel and get access to exclusive content, behindthecenes research, and early access to videos, consider joining our membership.

 The links in the description. Until then, remember, set your boundaries, protect your peace, and never underestimate the warning signs because sometimes the most dangerous person is the one who refuses to hear the word no. Stay safe out there. This video is dedicated to Emma Collins and all victims of stalking and harassment whose warnings went unheeded.

 You deserved better. We’ll keep telling your stories. Hey y’all, thanks for sticking around to the end of this deep dive. I know it was a heavy one. Cases involving young victims always hit different, you know. Real quick, I’ve been seeing comments asking about how we research these cases. We pull from court documents, trial transcripts, police reports, news coverage, and interviews when available.

 Everything you hear is sourced and fact checked. I take accuracy seriously because these are real people’s stories. Also, shout out to everyone who’s been sharing these videos and spreading awareness about stalking and harassment. Y’all are genuinely helping make a difference. All right, that’s it from me. Go hug your loved ones.

 Tell them you appreciate them. Life’s too short and too fragile not to.