The Ashley Hunter Trial: Guilty on All Counts

Ashley Hunter is found guilty for the murder of Clarence Flowers and Samuel Traut

FARGO, ND — Ashley Hunter has been found guilty in the murders of two Fargo men in 2015.

Hunter is also guilty on an arson charge after he attempted to burn down one of the victim’s homes to cover up his crime.

In under three hours, the jury found Ashley Hunter guilty of killing Clarence Flowers and Samuel Traut in 2015.

“We’re pleased with that result,” said Cass County Prosecutor, Birch Burdick. “We’re glad the jury saw it as we saw it. We think that’s a just verdict in the case.”

The pieces of the puzzle have finally been put together after two long years of building a case against Hunter.

The prosecution’s case was built around the confession Hunter gave to police just hours after beating Traut to death with a hammer.

He told them he had been high on meth and marijuana when he went to Flowers’ home and stabbed him 77 times with a knife.

He then fled the home and eventually landed on the doorstep of Traut, who police said at the time, opened his door to a monster.

He told police he killed Traut because he took too long in getting him a glass of water.

For the prosecution, it was an open and shut case.

“All verdicts should be based on the evidence,” said Burdick. “I feel this verdict was based on the evidence because there was good evidence and lots of it.”

Yet, Hunter’s defense team made the argument you can’t always go off of evidence.

They said it was impossible for Hunter to have stabbed victim Clarence Flowers 77 times in only 15 minutes, which is the timeline of events presented by the prosecution.

They also made the argument Hunter may not have been the only person in Traut’s home at the time of the killings because a third person’s DNA was also found at the scene.

The defense said investigators only paid attention to one suspect: Ashley Hunter.

“The important point here is that there was a lot of evidence,” said Burdick. “There was his admission. There was a lot of collaborating information from witnesses that helped support what he was saying to law enforcement at the time he said it.”

Family members of the victims did not want to go on camera after the verdict was read, but Traut’s family said no matter what the verdict is, it won’t bring him back.

Hunter’s sentencing date has not yet been set.

Prosecutors say the date will be set soon.