A Florida mother is behind bars after authorities say she carried out a chilling, calculated killing—allegedly shooting her boyfriend as he slept, dismembering his body, and burying his remains in the yard of the home they shared with young children.

Ashley Otero Averett, 32, was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree premeditated murder in the death of 38-year-old Joseph Martin Eiler, according to court records.

The case began as a missing persons investigation but quickly unraveled into something far more disturbing.

Eiler’s father, who lived on the same property in Fountain, Florida, contacted authorities on March 14 after not seeing his son for two days. He told deputies he had overheard a violent argument between the couple in the early morning hours of March 12.

During that confrontation, he said he heard his son cry out and later saw him washing his face, claiming Averett had struck him with a flashlight.

Hours later, the father reported hearing what he believed were gunshots coming from the home.

When Eiler failed to show up for work and could not be reached, alarm bells began to ring.

Deputies who responded to the home were initially told by Averett that Eiler had left with an unknown friend. But suspicion deepened when the father contacted authorities again days later, describing what he called “unusual activity.”

According to investigators, Averett had been burning items in a firepit and asking questions about how to dispose of ashes. When the father sifted through the remains, he said he found what appeared to be firearm trigger locks.

Inside the home, the signs were just as troubling. Bedding had been removed, laundry was being run repeatedly, and fresh dirt had been spread across parts of the yard. A firearm was also seen sitting on top of a safe.

Before confronting Averett again, investigators spoke with a family member who claimed she had confessed.

According to the affidavit, Averett allegedly admitted she shot Eiler while he was asleep, then attempted to dismember his body in a bathtub using a hatchet and knife.

Authorities say she later transported his remains in a gray tote and buried them in multiple locations around the yard.

In a post-Miranda interview, Averett allegedly confirmed the killing, telling detectives she shot Eiler twice in the back with a .380 caliber pistol during an ongoing argument that stretched from the night of March 11 into the early hours of March 12.

She also allegedly admitted to purchasing cleaning supplies from multiple stores in an effort to erase evidence of the crime.

When investigators executed a search warrant at the property, they discovered human remains buried in freshly disturbed soil—consistent with the locations described during the investigation.

In one of the case’s most haunting details, authorities said Averett had spray-painted the words “Joe I love you” on a storage container in the yard where the remains were recovered.

Officials say family members ultimately contacted 911, not to shield Averett, but to protect the two small children living in the home.

“They were in no way trying to assist her or help her get away with anything,” Bay County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Jason Daffin said. “They were there because there were a couple of small kids in the residence. They were there to try to protect them.”

Eiler was reportedly the father of one of the children.

Averett is currently being held in the Bay County Jail without bond. Her next court appearance has not yet been announced.