Double Murder Suspect In Court

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Murder suspect Ashley Hunter is combative in court and the judge says the Fargo man accused of two murders this week will be held without bail.

Authorities say he killed 45–year–old Clarence Flowers on Monday and 24–year–old Samuel Traut on Tuesday.

In court, Hunter did not understand why he was being charged.

That contradicts court documents that say Hunter had already admitted to both deaths.

Ashley Hunter addressed the judge and said, “First off I don’t understand why I’m getting charged with all of this stuff all in one and you say what proof? What proof does it say that I’m charged with all of this?”

Hunter was interviewed at the police station Tuesday and they say he admitted killing Clarence Flowers for multiple reasons including stealing his girlfriend and overcharging him for drugs.

Autopsy reports show Flowers was stabbed more than fifty times with a large knife.

The police report goes on to say that Hunter showed up at Samuel Trauts home on Tuesday and eventually hit him several times with a hammer before trying to start the place on fire.

Chief of Fargo Police David Todd said, “For some reason he ended up at the back of Samuel Traut’s residence. and speaking with Lt. Vettel at the crime scene last night I think he put it best…a good young man unknowingly opened his door to a monster.”

Police say Hunter had meth in his system when he killed Traut, a 24year old NDSU bible leader at the Newman Center.

Father James Cheney of the Catholic Diocese of Fargo said,”Samuel Traut was a man of tremendous virtue, and he’s going to be really missed.”

Law enforcement says that this was a successful investigation.

Fargo Police Lt. Joel Vettel said,”And when I say successful, it’s still tragic. But we were successful in bringing the person that we felt responsible for these crimes to jail.”

Hunter will be back in court at the end of July to face two counts of murder and one count of arson.

If convicted he could end up with life in prison without parole.