Boyfriend accused of killing young Mount Vernon mother arraigned

NEW ROCHELLE, New York (WABC) -- The man accused of killing a young mother from Mount Vernon was arraigned in Westchester County court Monday.

Now, Ashley McDuffie's boyfriend Jason Myers is charged with her murder.

The 27-year-old mother of two was found dead Friday night in Seton Falls Park in the Edenwald section of the Bronx after having been missing for over a week.

"It's horrible, it's uncalled for," friend Kamisha Jones said. "If there (were) issues there, they could've gotten help for it or something. He didn't have to kill her."

Family members contacted police last Wednesday to report McDuffie as a missing person, saying they could not reach her for several days and that it was unusual for her to not contact her children for an extended period of time.

"She was sweet," Jones said. "She would give you the shirt off her back. She was a loving mother, she was a good friend, and she was a good sister."

Mount Vernon police say Myers confessed to them that he had strangled McDuffie and disposed of her body in the park, in the area of 233rd Street and Monticello Avenue in the Bronx.

"There was definitely things going on," Jones said. "But it was quiet, it was kept quiet. So we weren't really aware, because she was hiding a lot of things. She didn't want us to know what was going on."

The NYPD conducted a search of Seton Falls Park, where they located the remains.

Friends and family gathered in New Rochelle Saturday night to light candles in honor of the victim.

Myers was remanded without bail.