Evans Man Reports Hitting Wife in Head with Baseball Bat

An Evans man hit his wife in the head with a baseball bat at their home in Stratford subdivision off Hardy McManus Road late this morning, then called the Columbia County Sheriff's Office to report the incident.

Deputies responded to the home in the 4400 block of Andover Way, where Paul Ashmore admitted he also held her at knifepoint before she got away and ran to a neighbor's house.

"Ashmore admits to hitting his wife and trying to kill her," according to the police report.

Ashmore was taken into custody at his home.  He was taken to the Columbia County Detention Center where he's being charged with two counts of Aggravated Assault.

Deputies located Mrs. Ashmore at a home in the 1300 block of Montrose Place.  She was transported to a local hospital.

Deputies said she was conscious at the time she was transported.

Investigators say a baseball bat and knife recovered at the scene were taken as evidence.

Today's incident in Columbia County was one day after an Aiken County man shot his wife at the Murphy USA gas station near Walmart on Richland Avenue in Aiken.  Witnesses said George and Tiffany Britt were arguing when he pulled out a gun and shot her, then turned the gun on himself.  Britt died at the scene.  Tiffany Britt was taken to an area hospital where she died a short time later.

Late Sunday night, Richmond County deputies were called to a home on Holden Drive where the first murder-suicide was reported.

Investigators say they found the bodies of Michael Williams and his wife, Rebecca Williams.  They say Williams shot and killed his wife, then shot himself.  Both died at the scene.  A family member was the first to discover the bodies and called 911.