Angela Willis

Any info on Leslie Douglas Ashley that you can give me I would appreciate. I am hoping to find the child he had with his wife. That was before the sex change. I am trying to find this child because he has an Aunt and that Aunt would be my Mother. I know Douglas did some horrible things but I'm hoping his child turned out better than he did. I don't live in Houston so any help would be greatly appreciated

I'm almost certain that Stickney didn't have an accomplice, and I think you may be thinking about another sensational murder case that happened in the early sixties. That was the case of a local real estate guy who hired a homosexual male prostitute -- Leslie Douglas Ashley -- and a female prostitute who worked with him -- Carolyn Lima -- to come to his office for "a party". At some point in the activities, Tones got rough and violent and Ashley shot him -- in self defense, as he later testified. Ashley and Lima dumped his body in a nearby vacant lot and burned it.

Taking his car, the two drove to New York, where they were picked up on a minor charge. NYC police learned they were wanted on murder charges in Texas and sent them back. Ashley pleaded insanity, but he was convicted and sent to death row. Lima struck a deal and got a light sentence in return for testifying against Ashley.

In the course of Ashley's appeal, it became clear that the prosecution had withheld evidence regarding his mental condition, and after a new sanity hearing, he was sent to the state hospital for the criminally insane in Rusk. He was eventually pardoned sometime in the early 70s.

I actually met Leslie Ashley on primary election day of 1972 outside an elementary school on the south side, where he and his mother -- Sylvia Ayres -- were handing out campaign cards for several candidates. I was also there "pushing cards" for a candidate, and I was surprised and amazed to find myself talking with the infamous "torch killer". (that's how the local newspapers referred to him during and after his trial) I remember him as a strange but somehow interesting "guy".

Ashley still lives in Houston, but not with that name. He had sex change surgery sometime in the 80s or 90s, and SHE'S now known as Leslie Perez. He took the last name of the lover he had in prison.

Leslie Perez is active in local politics and gay rights issues, and even runs for office now and then. She came very close to being elected Democratic Party County Chairman a few years ago.

I'm almost certain that Stickney didn't have an accomplice, and I think you may be thinking about another sensational murder case that happened in the early sixties. That was the case of a local real estate guy who hired a homosexual male prostitute -- Leslie Douglas Ashley -- and a female prostitute who worked with him -- Carolyn Lima -- to come to his office for "a party". At some point in the activities, Tones got rough and violent and Ashley shot him -- in self defense, as he later testified. Ashley and Lima dumped his body in a nearby vacant lot and burned it.

Taking his car, the two drove to New York, where they were picked up on a minor charge. NYC police learned they were wanted on murder charges in Texas and sent them back. Ashley pleaded insanity, but he was convicted and sent to death row. Lima struck a deal and got a light sentence in return for testifying against Ashley.

In the course of Ashley's appeal, it became clear that the prosecution had withheld evidence regarding his mental condition, and after a new sanity hearing, he was sent to the state hospital for the criminally insane in Rusk. He was eventually pardoned sometime in the early 70s.

I actually met Leslie Ashley on primary election day of 1972 outside an elementary school on the south side, where he and his mother -- Sylvia Ayres -- were handing out campaign cards for several candidates. I was also there "pushing cards" for a candidate, and I was surprised and amazed to find myself talking with the infamous "torch killer". (that's how the local newspapers referred to him during and after his trial) I remember him as a strange but somehow interesting "guy".

Ashley still lives in Houston, but not with that name. He had sex change surgery sometime in the 80s or 90s, and SHE'S now known as Leslie Perez. He took the last name of the lover he had in prison.

Leslie Perez is active in local politics and gay rights issues, and even runs for office now and then. She came very close to being elected Democratic Party County Chairman a few years ago.