MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – The man accused of murdering Ashley Elkins, the Macomb County mother who went missing in January, is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
Deandre Howard Booker, of Roseville, was charged with first-degree premeditated murder, tampering with evidence, disinterment or mutilation of a dead body and concealing the death of an individual in connection with the murder of Elkins.
He is expected to appear before Judge Joseph F. Boedeker in the 39th District Court in Roseville on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, for a continuation of his preliminary examination.
When Booker appeared in court for his preliminary examination on Wednesday, the judge said that the defendant wanted to stand and not sit for the hearing.
Macomb County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Carmen DeFranco placed on the record that he objected to Booker standing, saying he believed it was an attempt to intimidate the witnesses who were testifying against him. However, Booker was allowed to stand throughout the hearing.
So far, four people have testified, including Ashley Elkin’s mother, Monika Elkins, a Warren police officer, a Roseville officer and one witness who was not identified.
Ashley Elkins’ mother testified about the last text she received from her daughter, and how she and others went to Booker’s apartment to look for Ashley.
A Roseville officer said he found a bottle of bleach and blood in the bathroom. Blood was also found smeared on the hallway walls.
Read more -- Ashley Elkins murder case: Ex-boyfriend in court as mom, police testify
Ashley Elkins was last seen on Jan. 2, 2025. Cellphone data placed her at Booker’s apartment in Roseville.
After she was reported missing, authorities searched the Pine Tree Acres Landfill in Lenox Township. They looked through the landfill from Jan. 13 through Jan. 19, before the search was called off.
Elkins’ body has never been found.
Her car was found a few miles from her Booker’s apartment on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.
Booker was taken into custody in Flint on Jan. 8 and was initially charged with lying to police.
While in Flint, officials said Booker looked up information online about the fastest routes from Flint to Ohio, what to do on the run, if blood is traceable, how to beat a polygraph, and how to delete Google search history.
On Jan. 31, he was arraigned on the charges of premeditated murder, tampering with evidence, disinterment of a body and concealing the death of an individual.