May 13, 2022- 7:26 a.m.
On November 29, 2018, Jared Chance, 30, killed and dismembered Ashley Young, 31, in his Grand Rapid, Michigan apartment. His parents would then help him hide items he used in the murder.
Ashley Young had plans to meet up with her mother, Kristine Young, so she could co-sign a lease for her daughter. Ashley never showed up and did not answer her phone.
Kristine knew Ashley had been with a man named Jared Chance, so she contacted a friend of Ashley’s to get his information. Chance would give Kristine the run around and stopped answering her, so she contacted police.
On the same day Kristine contacted police, they also received a call from Mario Nelson, who told the operator he found a bloody tarp in the basement of his home.
When officers responded, Mario told them that there had been a small coming from the basement for a few days.
Officers entered the basement and saw the tarp and noticed a human body.
They secured the scene, obtained a search warrant, and went back inside. In the tarp, officers found a female’s torso which was missing both arms, the neck and head, and both legs from right above the knee.
Police searched the house and found the arms and lower legs in a cardboard box on the stairs. DNA testing would confirm the remains belonged to Ashley Young.
Police never recovered remaining body parts (head, hands, and feet).
Police tracked Chance to his parent’s house in Holland, Michigan.
On December 5, 2018, police searched the house and found a shower curtain in the garage, a Skil saw underneath the couch with blood and tissue on it, a washcloth in the basement which had human blood on it.
In the parent’s car they found an empty bottle of ammonia and latex gloves.
James Chance and Barbara Chance were arrested and charged with perjury and accessory after the fact on December 12, 2018.
Investigators state they knew their son murdered and dismembered Ashley and lied about it during questioning. Investigators believe that they both helped their son hide items pertaining to the murder.
James Chance, who was a former police sergeant, was found guilty of accessory after the fact and was sentenced to serve 30 days in a county jail and 1 year of probation.
Barbra Chance pleaded no contest to perjury and accessory after the fact. A judge sentenced her to 45 days in the county jail and 1 year of probation.
Chance was charged with second-degree murder, mutilation of a corpse, conceal a death, and 3 counts of tampering with evidence.
Chance was found guilty of all charges and sentenced to serve 100 to 200 years, with a minimum of 100 before being parole eligible.
Jared Chance has never stated a motive for killing and dismembering Ashley Young or where her head, hands, or feet are.
Ashley Young’s family has not stopped searching for her. They have had several fundraising events to raise money to give to anyone with information that will lead them to the remains of Ashley Young.
