48 Hours: "Death After Midnight"

Host: CBS News
Episode Date: March 20, 2026

Episode Overview

In this gripping installment of 48 Hours, award-winning correspondents delve into the mysterious death of Ashley Fallis in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2012. What was initially ruled a suicide by Evans, Colorado police comes under scrutiny as Ashley’s parents, Jenna Fox and Joel Raigundan, and journalist Justin Joseph, cast doubt on law enforcement’s handling of the case. The episode tracks the investigation, suspicions of a cover-up, the reopening of the case, and ultimately, the courtroom battle over whether Ashley’s death was a tragic suicide or murder at the hands of her husband, Tom Fallis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Night of Ashley's Death

• Context: New Year's Eve 2011 party at Ashley and Tom Fallis’s home. Family and friends were present.

• Tensions:

  • Tom reportedly became enraged over family disagreements and suspected marijuana use among guests.
  • Jenna noted Tom’s aggressive behavior:
    • “He was very, very angry with me.” (03:12, Jenna Fox)
  • Ashley was last seen by her parents as she bid them goodbye on the porch.

• Critical Event:

  • Roughly 10 minutes after the parents left, Tom called 911, reporting that Ashley had shot herself.
    • “I heard her gun cock and I looked out. I was like ‘What are you doing?’ … I just ran over to her and I just grabbed her head and I called 911. I told them our address and I told them that my wife shot herself.” (03:43, Tom Fallas)
  • First responders found Ashley with a fatal gunshot wound to the head.

2. Immediate Aftermath and Initial Investigation

• Police Ruling: Evans police quickly ruled the death a suicide, closing the case within days:

  • “It had been closed as a suicide within 24 hours and it was never looked at as a homicide.” (04:09, Justin Joseph)

• Family’s Distrust:

  • Ashley’s parents did not believe she was suicidal:
    • “She would never do anything like this.” (06:34, Jenna Fox)
    • “From the minutes we last saw her alive, we’ve always known that Tom Vallis murdered her.” (13:11, Joel Raigundan)

• Signs of Potential Foul Play:

  • Physical evidence suggested a struggle: Pictures ripped from the wall, divorce papers present, Ashley had leg bruises.
  • Neighbors reportedly heard arguments and a female voice shouting, “Get off me.”
  • Tom exhibited scratches on his chest, explained away as a result of shaving.

• Tom’s Emotional State:

  • “You’re accusing me of killing my wife. I’m not supposed to get upset?” (15:22, Tom Fallas)

3. Reopening the Case – Media and New Evidence

• Investigative Reporting:

  • Journalist Justin Joseph’s reporting was key in reviving the case two years later:
    • “There was enough there to suggest that there wasn’t at least a thorough investigation. I owed it to the family to look at that.” (02:13, Justin Joseph)
    • “It’s not very often that you hear someone confess to murder and get away with it.” (17:58, Justin Joseph)

• Eyewitness Accounts:

  • Neighbor Nick Glover claimed to have overheard Tom confess, “I shot her.” (19:47, Tom Fallas quoting Glover’s recollection)
  • Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Graves corroborated hearing Tom say, “I can’t believe I shot her. And I can’t believe she’s dead.” (32:42, Narrator)
  • Discrepancies noted in police reports, potential omission or alteration of witness statements.

• Questions of a Cover-Up:

  • Family accused the Evans Police Department of intentionally classifying the death as a suicide.
    • “Evans Police Department decided to cover up her death as a suicide from the very beginning.” (22:17, Joel Raigundan)
  • Police Chief Rick Brandt admits errors:
    • “I would agree with that. … I don’t think you do close a case when there’s lab results pending.” (23:49, 23:52, Police Chief Rick Brandt)

4. The Trial – Conflicting Testimonies and Forensics

• Defense Argument:

  • Painted Ashley as mentally unstable, impulsive, and having a family history of suicide.

    • “Ashley Fallas committed suicide on January 1, 2012... she had a documented mental illness, was impulsive and self destructive, and shot herself in the instant of her crisis.” (28:25, Ira Z. Tan, Defense Attorney)

  • Used prosecution witnesses to highlight Ashley’s drinking and alleged miscarriage.

• Prosecution Case:

  • Focused on Tom’s aggression, Ashley’s devotion to her children, and eyewitness accounts of Tom’s alleged confession.
  • Premise: Tom was the last person with her, in proximity when her gun went off, that a struggle may have occurred.

• Conflicting Forensic Testimony:

  • Expert Dan Gillum: “The most probable result of Ashley Fallis shot to her head was as a result of it being self inflicted, correct? … I believe so.” (34:19, cross-examination)
  • Expert John Priest: “My ultimate opinion is that at the time the shot was fired, Tom and Ashley Fallis were in contact with each other or near each other.” (35:01, Priest)

5. The Verdict and Reactions

• Jury’s Decision:

  • After a three and a half hour deliberation, Tom Fallis was found not guilty on all charges.

    • “We, the jury, find the defendant, Thomas Fallas, not guilty of murder in the second degree and all lesser included offenses.” (37:33, Justin Joseph)

  • Jury cited reasonable doubt and lack of clear evidence.

    • “I looked at him, I studied him, and I just couldn’t see it… but I did want to find him guilty if he did it.” (38:28, Juror)
    • “Was this a case of reasonable doubt for you all?” “I think it was a perfect storm just waiting to happen.” (39:18, Juror)

• Family’s Grief and Frustration:

  • “Just got away with murder again.” (37:48, Jenna Fox)
  • “For them to make that decision that quickly is sickening to me. … It’s haunting.” (37:57, Joel Raigundan)

• Press and Police Reflection:

  • Reporter Justin Joseph: “The police department and the Weld County Sheriff did not do their jobs the night this happened. The jury didn’t have what they needed… the jury made the right decision.” (40:37, Justin Joseph)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On loss and lasting pain:

  • “How do you say goodbye?” (12:58, Jenna Fox)

• On the reopening of the case:

  • “It doesn’t bring Ashley back by any sense at all, but I think I just want the truth out there.” (25:03, Jenna Fox)

• On evidence omissions:

  • “The Glovers were never presented an opportunity to review their statements … they were as shocked as everyone was to learn that the statements were omitted and the statements were changed.” (20:58, Justin Joseph)

• On the aftermath:

  • “Every day. This is the battle we are having to live with what the jurors came up with. … But ... the truth is the truth, and it always will be in our mind, in our hearts.” (41:56, Joel Raigundan)

• Final Message to Grandchildren:

  • “She loved you guys wholeheartedly. … That’s why I know that my daughter would never take her own life.” (42:34, Joel Raigundan)

Important Timestamps

• 01:52 – Family describes the immediate shock and suspicion (Jenna Fox, Tom Fallas)
• 04:09 – Case closed as a suicide in under 24 hours (Justin Joseph)
• 07:47 – Early red flags in Tom and Ashley’s relationship (Jenna Fox)
• 13:08 – Family disbelief that Ashley took her own life (Justin Joseph, Jenna Fox, Joel Raigundan)
• 19:47 – Neighbor recounts Tom’s alleged confession (Nick Glover via Justin Joseph)
• 23:49 – Police chief reluctantly admits investigation mistakes (Rick Brandt)
• 25:35 – Mysterious suicide notes surface years later (Narrator, Jenna Fox)
• 28:25 – Defense claims Ashley’s suicide (Ira Z. Tan)
• 35:01 – Forensic expert describes struggle as potential explanation (John Priest)
• 37:33 – Not guilty verdict delivered (Justin Joseph)
• 39:21 – Juror reflects: “I think that the argument that they had that night was probably a little bit more intense, but I don’t think that he did it.” (Juror)
• 42:34 – Joel’s message to grandchildren about Ashley’s love (Joel Raigundan)

Tone and Language

The episode maintains a somber, investigative, and sometimes confrontational tone as it balances between competing narratives—a grieving family, a husband under suspicion, journalists seeking truth, and a police department under scrutiny. The reporting is thorough and sensitive to the emotional impact felt by all involved, especially Ashley’s family.

Conclusion

Death After Midnight pulls listeners into the uncertainty and anguish of a case clouded by initial investigative failures and a family’s unrelenting quest for answers. The episode is a sobering reflection on justice, the reliability of evidence, and the emotional fractures caused when the truth remains elusive.