KANSAS CITY, MO – A Missouri man, John Wonder, 31, is facing first-degree murder charges after allegedly killing his wife, Ashli Ehrhardt, 29, in their shared Kansas City home. The couple, despite being in the process of divorce, were still living together at the time of the incident.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Wonder is accused of stabbing and strangling Ehrhardt, leaving her partially undressed body in the laundry room of their home. The gruesome scene was discovered by Ehrhardt’s father, who found her body with a belt around her neck and the word “Wonder” written in blood on her leg.
Earlier that day, Wonder had dropped off their two young children, aged 2 and 4, at Ehrhardt’s parents’ home. He left in haste, without speaking to the grandparents. Approximately an hour and a half later, the couple’s employer requested a welfare check from the police when neither showed up for work.
Upon discovering the horrific scene, Ehrhardt’s parents found a large butcher knife and a cleaver next to her body, which was covered in stab wounds. The laundry room door was partially open but had been secured with a bungee cord.
Later that day, Wonder’s sister received a series of unsettling messages from him. He allegedly texted her, “Hey kiddo. Sorry about the mess. For the record: it’s way easier and much more satisfying than you can imagine. See you around.” He also sent a friend a series of Facebook messages, detailing the chilling event and expressing his certainty of being caught.
Wonder was arrested later that day in Valentine, a Nebraska town near the South Dakota border, approximately eight hours from Kansas City. He was charged with first-degree murder in addition to armed criminal action. Now, he is being held on a $1 million cash bond.