Christopher Bird: California man shot dead estranged wife while she was on Zoom call in murder-suicide

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LA PRESA, CALIFORNIA: While on a work call, a mother of 9-year-old son was shot dead at her California home by her estranged husband. Police deputies in La Presa, California discovered 35-year-old Ashley Bird lying on the couch with a gunshot wound to her head.

Following the startling discovery, 39-year-old Christopher Bird became the primary suspect in the case and was subsequently discovered dead inside his own car.

Ashley Bird's sister claims her sister was on Zoom meeting when shot dead

Their nine-year-old son was been left without both his parents as a result of the ordeal.

Allison Saefong, Ashley's sister, claims that at the time, her sister was having a Zoom meeting with a coworker. Saefong recalled her sister as being kind, loving, and caring in an interview with NBC San Diego.

Saefong told the outlet, "She was just a beautiful soul inside and out, in every way imaginable. She would absolutely give anything and everything for her son."

"My sister, she worked from home. She was in a Zoom meeting. At that point, she thought someone was trying to break in, and she left. She said, 'Hey, give me a second. Somebody is trying to break into my house,'" Saefong added.

When Ashley failed to return, her coworker called her mother, who then got in touch with the sheriff's office.

Saefong went on to say, "My mom called me just before 11 o'clock, and she was hysterical, saying, 'She's gone. She's gone.' I shouted, 'Who's gone? Who's gone?'"

"She wasn't giving me details. She said, 'Ashley. Ashley's gone, I just know it. We knew [Christopher] was volatile, but we never expected this."

Ashley was shot in the head and found unconscious on the couch by deputies; she died before she could be taken to the hospital. The couple had been divorcing, according to Saefong, but her sister denied any physical abuse.

She added: "We asked her, 'do you feel like he's physically abusive? No, absolutely not, she would say. She would say, 'He would never physically harm me. He's fine.'"

Ashley Bird was 'most kind, warm hearted, generous soul'

Christopher Bird had received court documents establishing child and spousal support a few days before the deaths. Saefong said, "We think the divorce may have sent him over the edge and then along with the custody battle that was finalizing at the end too."

The son of the couple was reportedly in school when the shooting occurred, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. His father drove to pick him up after the incident and took him to stay with another relative.

Later that day, according to deputies, they discovered Bird dead in his car in the San Clemente parking lot of Calafia Beach.

Since Ashley passed away, her family has established a GoFundMe page, which has raised over $19,000 to assist with burial expenses and other costs associated with raising her son.

The fundraiser said, "The loving family of Ashley Margaret Bird is fundraising for the cost of a funeral as well as funds for raising her surviving son. Ashley was taken from us too soon in life and she will be dearly missed by all her friends and family."

It further read, "She had such an impact on everyone around her and was the most kind, warm hearted, generous soul.""We thank the Lord for the life she was able to live and all the lives she was able to touch in her short time on this earth."

"She leaves behind her 9 year old son who was the love of her life as well as her mother Patti, father John, brother Eric and sister Allison," the post stated.

"Along with many other friends and family members. Though this time is very hard for those that knew and loved her, we are thankful for Jesus Christ and knowing that we will see her in Heaven again someday," it concluded.