MUSKEGON, Mich. — The man accused of shooting and killing a Muskegon mother of four was sentenced on Friday.
Phillip Smith will serve 16-170 years in prison for murder.
He took a plea deal in April after being accused of shooting and killing 30-year-old Ashley Ridge in her driveway.
The shooting happened back in October 2022 at Ashley's home near Laketon Avenue and Getty Street in Muskegon.
Ashley's family told 13 ON YOUR SIDE she was a wife and a mother of four. Police said Smith was Ashley's estranged former father-in-law.
Witnesses told police they had seen Smith and Ashley arguing outside before he shot her in the head. An eyewitness attempted to intervene in the dispute prior to the shooting.
"Everybody's still hurting from it," said James Ridge Jr., Ashley's husband.
Smith later pleaded guilty to homicide and felony firearm charges in exchange for the prosecution dropping the assault and weapons charge.
13 ON YOUR SIDE spoke to James Ridge Sr., who was Ashley's father-in-law. He said Ashley had requested a Personal Protection Order against Smith but the request was denied due to a lack of evidence.
Documents show Smith denied committing the crime in a subsequent interview with investigators and that he had instead visited the home of a friend in Hesperia.
The friend later told authorities Smith had been emotionally distraught and appeared to have been intoxicated.
During the visit, Smith allegedly confessed to his role in the shooting.
Investigators later found a revolver and several spent bullet casings among Smith's belongings, the filings showed.
Reflecting on his daughter-in-law’s death, James Ridge Sr. said his entire family is hurting, adding that his son has no intention of ever returning to the home where the shooting happened.
During sentencing, James Ridge Jr. talked about who his wife was as a person, a mother and a daughter.
"(The sentencing) wasn't good," said James Ridge Jr. "I didn't like having to look at him, but it had to be done. She helped everybody, help every kid around her, whether it was hers or not."
James Ridge Sr. described Ashley as “super friendly and happy all the time and loved her children and loved her husband.”
