Woman to spend at least 25 years in prison for fatally stabbing River Rouge neighbor

RIVER ROUGE, Mich. – Ashley Nicole Gambrell was sentenced to at least 25 years in prison Tuesday for the deadly stabbing of a woman in May 2018 in River Rouge.

Daija Gunn's was due to turn 21 last spring, but instead her family and friends were left mourning her death. Gunn was stabbed multiple times May 21 at her River Rouge apartment, police said. Gambrell was her neighbor. 

  • Watch the sentencing hearing above with victim impact statements and a statement from Gambrell. 

Gambrell got a swollen eye in a fight she had with Gunn, officials said. Gunn's friends said they don't know what the fight was about, but sources told Local 4 that Gambrell left and later returned to Gunn's home with a butcher knife.

Timothy Dalton said he knew both young women. He had to provide a statement to investigators.

"It's sad," Dalton said. "I don't know what caused it. They got into it and that was it."

Local 4 learned that, at the time of the stabbing, Gambrell was wearing a tether. She was out on bail after being charged in a stabbing that happened in June 2017. She was ordered not to have any weapons.

Gambrell was charged with murder and premeditated murder in Gunn's death. 

"For the life of me, what makes you that mad to stab someone, not once, but twice?" Dalton said.

Gambrell pleaded guilty to felony murder and the premeditated charge was dropped. She will spend at least 25 years in prison with a maximum sentence set at 40 years. 

Watch a report from last spring here: 


About the Authors:

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.