A Missouri man has been charged with second-degree felony murder and first-degree domestic assault after his girlfriend died at a motel. Nicholas Ayres, 35, faces the charges in connection with the death of 37-year-old Destiny Dunn, according to Columbia Police and Boone County jail records.
Missouri Man Charged With Murder After Girlfriend’s Death
Police say Ayres called 911 at 3:22 p.m. on Aug. 12, reporting that Dunn was lying down, might have a heartbeat and appeared “red and blue,” according to a probable cause statement reviewed by Fox News Digital. He told dispatchers the couple had been fighting in the shower, that Dunn fell after he stepped out, and later admitted they had been fighting and that she was bruised.
Officers arrived within a minute and found Dunn dead, noting severe bruising on her neck, face and swollen, discolored eyelids. The scene confirmed the severity of the injuries.
Neighbors reported hearing a physical altercation around 11 a.m., and investigators later recovered Ayres’ cellphone, whose data allegedly built a timeline from days before the death into the final hours. The timeline helped shape the investigation.
Video recordings from Aug. 10 show Dunn without facial bruises, while a later clip allegedly captures Ayres repeatedly striking her for over a minute, telling her to “clean up her mess” as slaps and punches echo. The footage provides a disturbing timeline of the assault.
Additional footage from Aug. 12 depicts Dunn in a bathtub wearing only a shirt, barely moving, and Ayres pacing between the bathroom and room while a woman groans; he reportedly told her he was “really calling 911.” He later said he needed to call emergency services.
He later claimed the 911 call was accidental, verified his name and location, and disconnected before officers arrived. He said the call was unintended.
Police photographed defensive wounds on Ayres’ left wrist and torso. The autopsy concluded Dunn died from injuries sustained in a physical assault.
Ayres remains jailed without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 2, while Dunn’s family remembers her as a loving mother through a GoFundMe campaign. The case continues to draw public attention.
Columbia Police say the investigation remains ongoing. They have not released further details at this time.
