Asheville man charged with murder in December gunfight on New Leicester Hwy

Ryley Ober, Asheville Citizen Times
Updated ·2 min read
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ASHEVILLE — Asheville police charged a 27-year-old man with first-degree murder Feb. 16, in the shooting of two people in a late-night gunfight in December on New Leicester Highway.

Detectives charged Tristin Marquese Maewether, of Asheville, with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping and robbery with a dangerous weapon for his alleged role in the death of Chase Christian Vanleeuwen, according to a Feb. 16 news release from the Asheville Police Department.

VanLeeuwen, 30, of Candler, was shot inside a business at the 300 block of New Leicester Highway on Dec. 22, according to a previous news release. When APD patrol officers responded to the location around 11:20 p.m. for reports of a gunshot wound, Vanleeuwen was found deceased in the building.

Initial reporting: Update: Victims ID'd in Dec. 22 gunfight in West Asheville: police investigating

A half-hour after the first call, dispatchers notified officers that a person with a gunshot wound had been dropped off at Mission Hospital, later identified by APD as Marckia Ornette Jones, 20, of Asheville. Despite efforts to save her, Jones also succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.

Based on the news release, it does not appear that Maewether has been charged with Jones' death.

Maewether was already in the custody of the N.C. Department of Corrections for a parole violation when these charges were added, according to the release.

On Feb. 16, Maewether was "booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility where he was initially held under no bond (ineligible to be released) due to the Pretrial Integrity Act. The release status of no bond has been upheld by Judge (Patricia K.) Young," the release said.

The investigation into the late-night gunfight is active and ongoing, APD's news release said. Information about this homicide or any other illegal activity can be anonymously shared by texting TIP2APD to 847411 (Tip411). Audio, video, and photos can be uploaded through this service. APD can also be contacted directly at 828-252-1110.

Maewether has a court date of March 7, according to an online jail database. The Citizen Times has requested a copy of his arrest report.

This story will be updated.

Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at rober@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville man charged with murder in New Leicester Hwy gunfight