COLUMBIA, Mo. (TCN) — A 35-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault and second-degree murder in connection with the death of his girlfriend.
According to the Columbia Police Department, officers were called on Aug. 12 after they received a report of cardiac arrest. Officers responded to the hotel where the caller said 37-year-old Destiny Dunn had fallen in the shower, People reports. She reportedly had bruises all over her body and face.
According to a probable cause statement obtained by People, the 911 caller was Dunn’s boyfriend, Nicholas Ayres, who allegedly told dispatchers, “It looks like I f—ing beat her up and I promise to God I didn’t do it.”
A search of Ayres’ phone allegedly uncovered graphic video evidence of him assaulting Dunn while verbally abusing her, People reports. The videos allegedly showed him slapping her, pulling her hair, and telling her that someone would call the authorities because of her “stupidity.”
In a video taken on Aug. 12, Dunn is allegedly seen groaning in the bathtub while Ayres allegedly says he is going to call 911 because he does not want to be arrested for manslaughter, per People.
Ayres was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault and second-degree murder, according to police.
A GoFundMe page set up by Dunn’s sister, Marinah Holland, reads in part, “Destiny was a loving, nurturing, and incredibly sweet person. She had a beautiful soul and a heart that cared deeply for the people around her. She was someone who brought love and kindness into the lives of others, and her loss has left an unimaginable hole in the hearts of everyone who knew and loved her.”
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