Man suspected of killing his girlfriend flees state and faces trial

A 22-year-old East Wenatchee man accused of murdering his girlfriend before being arrested near Toledo, Ohio, is scheduled to go on trial.

Ashton Bunting Jr. has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder of 28-year-old Synthia Ring.

His trial date is scheduled for October 9 in Douglas County Superior Court.

Bunting is accused of killing Ring and leaving notes expressing regret over the crime in the apartment she shared with her four-year-old son.

Police discovered Ring's body when they entered her apartment on June 11 and found her son crying in the living room.

When paramedics arrived, they found that Ring's body bore traces of violence, indicating that violence was the likely cause of death.

Bunting Jr. had already traveled to South Dakota the day Ring's body was discovered. Police say he hit a deer while driving and was given a ride to another location by a police officer. The accident occurred three hours before the welfare check was scheduled to take place at the home.

Police in South Dakota notified East Wenatchee police of their encounter with Bunting Jr. after receiving the statewide alert a few days later.

Bunting Jr. was also caught on surveillance video entering a bicycle shop in Marshall, Minnesota.

He was subsequently arrested after being stopped for driving 90 mph in a 70 mph zone near Toledo, Ohio.

Bunting Jr. was subsequently extradited to Chelan County, where he has been in jail since July 24.

After a week's delay, he was brought to court on Thursday.

Both prosecutors and Bunting Jr.'s court-appointed attorney argued at a hearing Thursday that police had not provided them with enough evidence.

Supreme Court Justice Brian Huber urged both sides to contact law enforcement to request the release of material.

Bunting has a summary hearing on September 12 and a standby hearing on September 26 before his October trial.

If convicted, he could face a life sentence in prison.