The family of Ashley J. Gandolfi begged a state judge Friday afternoon to not release her longtime boyfriend, who is accused of shooting and killing her before driving to a rural Independence road and crashing with her body in the car.
Tyler A. Holman, 39, wore a neck brace and shuffled slowly to a window in the Marion County Criminal Court Annex to face charges of second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon constituting domestic violence and second-degree abuse of a corpse.
Court records showed Gandolfi, 35, of Salem, and Holman had been dating for over 11 years. He was charged with assaulting her in March 2024.
Polk County Circuit Judge Pro Tem Timothy Park dismissed the case in August 2024 at the request of the Polk County District Attorney’s Office, which said in a court filing that “there is insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
At the arraignment hearing in the southeast Salem jailhouse courtroom, Gandolfi’s mother said she was “terrified” that Holman would hurt his and Gandolfi’s 7-year-old daughter if he were to be released.
“He has military training and is able to do that,” she said.
Court records indicate that Holman did not have custody of their daughter at the time of Gandolfi’s death. Relatives said in court that they were caring for the child.
Marion County Circuit Court Pro Tem Judge Matthew Tracey ordered that Holman remain in custody without bail, at least until his next court hearing.
Tracey said during the hearing that the “proof is evident, presumption is strong” that Holman is guilty of murder. Oregon law requires that criminal defendants in such circumstances be denied release while charges are pending.
The judge also said he would mark 68 pages of evidence confidential at the request of Marion County Chief Deputy District Attorney Brendan Murphy.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies discovered Gandolfi dead when Holman crashed a car on Monday in the 1000 block of Corvallis Road, near farmland in Independence, according to the Salem Police Department.
Deputies responded to the rollover crash around 6:30 a.m. that day. They found Gandolfi dead, and Holman was hospitalized with injuries.
“The circumstances at the scene suggested that she was not killed in the car accident, rather, her body was being transported at the time of the crash,” Salem police said in a news release Thursday.
The statement did not say whether police suspect that Holman crashed on accident or on purpose.
An autopsy by the Oregon State Medical Examiner determined that Gandolfi died from a gunshot wound and ruled her death a homicide.
Holman’s charges allege that he killed Gandolfi on the same day as the crash, court records showed.
Police did not clarify where they believe Holman shot Gandolfi but said the investigation into her death led detectives to a residence in the 1600 block of South Acacia Drive where Holman lives.
Holman was released Thursday from the hospital, arrested and booked into the Marion County Jail.
In cases where prosecutors are considering or pursuing felony charges, they convene a grand jury to review evidence and determine whether to charge the person through a process called indictment.
Holman is scheduled to appear in court again on Feb. 10 to face an indictment.
Tracey said in court Friday that Marion County Circuit Court Judge Audrey Broyles will then determine whether Holman will be released.
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
