1 Defendant Admits Role as Accessory in Girl’s Death

After cutting a deal with prosecutors, one of six defendants linked to the 1998 slaying of a Ventura teenage girl pleaded guilty Wednesday to being an accessory to murder.

Roy Ashlock, 28, of Ventura, admitted his role during an arraignment in Ventura County Superior Court.

Ashlock was indicted by a grand jury last month on one count of being an accessory to a felony for allegedly helping two white supremacists cover up the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Nichole Lee Hendrix.

So far, he is the only defendant to plead guilty to charges stemming from the girl’s death. But Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Ron Bamieh said other defendants have given statements to authorities and are cooperating.

“One down, five to go,” Bamieh said outside the court Wednesday.

Bamieh said his office entered into a plea agreement with Ashlock, the details of which he declined to discuss. Bamieh described Ashlock as being among the least culpable of the six defendants and said he will probably be placed on probation after cooperating with authorities.

“Hopefully, it is a positive step,” Bamieh said. “Sometimes when you’ve done something wrong and admit your mistakes, you can make your life a lot better.”

After the arraignment, Nichole’s mother, Shelly Holland, stood outside the courtroom and smiled. Holland has attended almost every hearing for her daughter’s alleged killers and their accomplices in recent weeks, and expressed relief that at least one case has been resolved.

“I am just happy,” she said.

In addition to pleading guilty to being an accessory to murder, Ashlock admitted in court to committing a crime to benefit a criminal street gang--the Skin Head Dogs.

Several of the Ventura white supremacist group’s members or associates are charged in the Hendrix case, and authorities say they worked together to conceal the girl’s killing.

A student at Pacific High continuation school in Ventura, Nichole disappeared Oct. 15, 1998, after telephoning her parents from the City Center Motel near downtown Ventura to say she would be home soon. She never made it.

*

Ventura County sheriff’s officials, who investigated the case for two years, believe Nichole was fatally stabbed at the motel and her body moved to an Oxnard residence. Her remains were later dumped in the Ventura County back country.

Prosecutors have not revealed a possible motive for the slaying.

Oxnard residents David Ziesmer, 27, and Michael Bridgeford, 24, are facing murder charges, along with Ventura resident Bridget Callahan, 28. Kellie Rangel, 30, of Camarillo, and James Bowman, 21, of Ventura, face conspiracy and accessory charges for allegedly trying to cover up the slaying.

So far, only Bowman has entered a plea--not guilty.

Ashlock is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 16.