Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Lost Innocence’ of Netflix’s ‘I Am a Killer,’ the focus is on a couple turned convicted killers — Ashley Morrison and Christian Sims — who were collectively involved in the murder of the latter’s grandmother, Annie Lois Sims, in late 2014. As the episode includes exclusive interviews with both of them, the viewers are provided with two different versions of the story, sparking more questions about them, including their current whereabouts.
Ashley Morrison and Christian Sims Teamed Up to Murder Annie Lois Sims
Both born in the second half of the 1990s, Ashley Eva Morrison and Christian Vernon Sims crossed paths with each other in a Texas school as they both played the clarinet. In 2008, Ashley relocated to Paris, Texas, with her family and joined the school band. Meanwhile, the young local boy, Christian, also became a part of the band the next year. Over the following years, they formed a close bond and began dating during their teenage years. As per Christian’s claims, his childhood wasn’t particularly pleasant as he was physically and sexually abused by his mother’s boyfriend, Anthony Trenton Barbour.
Due to the incompetency of his parents to raise him, he was then taken in by his grandparents, Mike and Annie Lois Sims, who took the responsibility to raise him. However, according to Christian, his days of abuse were still far from over, as he claimed that his grandmother also sexually abused him regularly. In order to break free from the alleged pattern of abuse, Christian moved in with Ashley at her parents’ residence in October 2014. On December 18, 2014, the couple reportedly planned to visit Christian’s grandparents’ house, but first, they stayed on his aunt’s nearby property which was unoccupied at the time. According to the investigators, Christian took a rifle from his aunt’s house and went over to the residence of his grandparents with it.
As per Ashley’s claims, he had threatened to harm her family if she refused to become a part of his sinister plan regarding his grandparents. So, when he reached the property, he shot his grandmother to death and fled the scene in her car, along with Ashley. They drove to a Motel 6 off the Indian Nation Turnpike in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Later that same night, the investigators tracked the couple to room 275 of the motel, from where they were arrested around 8:25 pm. Despite Christian claiming that Ashley had nothing to do with it, both of them were charged with murdering Christian Sims’ grandmother, Annie Lois Sims. A few days later, they were returned to Lamar County.
Both Ashley Morrison and Christian Sims Remain Incarcerated at Different Texas Prison Facilities
Avoiding trial, Christian Sims took a plea deal and admitted his guilt in connection to the cold-blooded murder of Annie Lois Sims. As a result, in October 2016, he was sentenced to 35 years in prison. About a couple of years later, in 2018, Christian and his defense attorney appealed to get his conviction overturned by arguing that the police violated his rights by pinging his phone without a warrant, which ultimately led to them knowing his location. However, the court argued that a warrant was not necessary for the police at the time.
On the other hand, Ashley Morrison decided against a plea agreement and stood trial on July 24, 2017, for the killing of her boyfriend’s grandmother. The jury returned with a guilty verdict as she was convicted of being involved in 66-year-old Annie Lois Sims’ murder. On July 27, 2017, she received a 30-year imprisonment sentence, with the possibility of parole after 15 years. Right after her sentencing, she appealed her conviction and succeeded as the court reversed her murder conviction and granted her a second trial.
This time, she pleaded guilty in November 2018, and on March 4, 2020, she received a 30-year imprisonment sentence for the 2014 murder of the retired North Lamar teacher. As of today, Ashley Eva Morrison is serving her sentence at the William P. Hobby Unit in Marlin, Texas, awaiting her parole eligibility date scheduled for December 2029. On the other hand, Christian Vernon Sims is incarcerated at the O.L. Luther Unit in Navasota, Texas. His parole eligibility date is set for June 2032. While Ashley maintains that she was coerced and threatened into being involved in the crime, Christian claims that he had not threatened her in any way during the commission of the murder.
Read More: Rebecca Keller and Keri Murphy: Where Are the Killers Now?
