Saginaw man pleads guilty to killing girlfriend on reservation land, injuring baby daughter

BAY CITY, MI — In a fit of rage, a Saginaw man pulled out a gun and shot his girlfriend multiple times as she held their baby daughter. The bullets killed the mother, leaving her daughter wounded but alive.

The killer recently admitted to firing the bullets and will spend the next few months in prison, but he has been charged and faces the death penalty.

Johnathan Ashford, 39, appeared before U.S. District Judge Patricia T. Morris on July 16 and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, first-degree assault and discharging a firearm in a crime of violence. Second-degree murder is a life offense, while attempted second-degree murder is a 20-year felony. The firearms offense carries a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence.

In his plea, Ashford admitted that on November 5, 2022, he was with his significant other, 33-year-old Rosanna M. Keshick, in the 2700 block of South Ivy Lane in Mount Pleasant. He became angry that she had cheated on him and pulled out a Taurus 9mm handgun, shooting her repeatedly.

Keshick was holding their 6-month-old daughter at the time. At least two of Ashford’s bullets hit the baby.

Police learned of the shooting when the injured baby and her older, toddler brother were dropped off at Mount Pleasant Hospital. Officers went to Keshick’s home on the Isabella Indian Reservation and found her dead. They also found mail addressed to Ashford, even though his last registered address was in Saginaw.

A relative of Keshick told detectives that Ashford had lived at the Ivy Lane home since September 2021, but often stayed in Saginaw for weeks at a time. The relative also told detectives that there were at least three guns in the home.

Although Keshick bought the guns, Ashford often used them, the relative said. Investigators found a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun in the home.

Police located and arrested Ashford in Saginaw on November 5. Ashford waived his Miranda rights and confessed to shooting Keshick, although he said the injury to his child was accidental.

Ashford was charged federally because Keshick, also known by the surnames Romero and Martin, was a member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, and the shooting occurred on the reservation. Ashford is not a member of the tribe.

In the federal domain, a murder conviction can carry the death penalty. Although Michigan abolished the death penalty in 1847 — the first English-speaking government in the world to do so — federal prosecutors may seek the death penalty if they believe the circumstances of the crime warrant such a punishment. Under U.S. Department of Justice policy, only the U.S. Attorney General may decide whether the government will seek such a sentence.

On April 25, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison filed a notice of indictment indicating that she would not seek the death penalty in Ashford’s case.

Keshick graduated from Aabizikaawin Alternative School in 2006 and received her bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University in 2016. She spent the last 10 years of her life working for the tribe in the business regulatory department. She also worked as a delivery driver for Amazon and DoorDash and had recently become a notary public, according to her obituary.

“Rosanna was very active in helping others in any way she could, serving on several tribal committees,” her obituary continued. “She was much loved and respected in her community and will be missed by many. Rosanna enjoyed traveling, attending concerts, and spending time with her family. Most of all, she loved her children and was an unforgettable mother.”

U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington will sentence Ashford on November 7.