Three weeks after 25-year-old Ashema Chang was charged with property damage in connection with a destructive house fire, she has finally broken her public silence. After the court granted Chang bail pending a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation, reports began circulating that she had gone missing. But her former partner, Eugene Thompson, is pushing back against that claim, arguing Chang was never missing at all — and that instead, she began harassing him immediately after her court appearance. Tonight, News Five journalist Britney Gordon investigates the clashing accusations and unpacks the court’s role in the sequence of events that have unfolded since the fire.
For days, public speculation swirled around Chang’s location and the validity of the claims against her. That speculation ended when Chang took to a late-night livestream to address the rumors directly, telling viewers that reports of her disappearance were false, rejecting all accusations of wrongdoing on her part, and turning the blame back on her former partner.
In comments translated from regional Kriol, Chang said, “From the time I got together with this young man, all of my colleagues, all of my family and friends told me to get away from him, to break up with him. That’s actually what I was trying to do, but when you’re young and trying to make it on your own as an independent person, it’s just hard.”
On September 14, Chang had successfully obtained a temporary protection order against Thompson, her partner of six months. The court order granted her the right to remain in Thompson’s home for an additional 15 days while the legal process moved forward. But just one day after the protection order was granted, the entire home was destroyed by an out-of-control blaze. Chang firmly denies any responsibility for starting the fire.
Speaking about the fire, Chang said, “It’s just been really hard, and I lost everything. Most of my belongings were inside that house he says burned down, and I had no knowledge of what happened whatsoever.”
When Chang appeared for her initial court hearing on September 22, the Chief Magistrate noted that Chang appeared visibly confused and disoriented, and ordered her to complete a full psychiatric evaluation ahead of further proceedings. The formal damage-to-property charge was never formally read during this hearing, but bail was set at $300, which Chang was able to meet. Local defense attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley explained how court-ordered psychiatric evaluations work for defendants who have already been granted bail.
Bradley explained, “If a magistrate offers bail in a situation where a psychiatric evaluation is still required, the responsibility falls to the defendant and their family to make arrangements to complete the assessment, and these evaluations are not provided for free. Magistrates will often help connect defendants to available providers. In this case, the magistrate noted that there were two private practicing psychiatrists available for evaluations within the next few weeks. Because these are private providers not employed by the government, the court cannot compel them to take on the case, but they can point the family in the right direction.”
While Chang continues to deny all allegations against her, Thompson stands by his claims and is still working to rebuild his life after losing his home to the fire.
Reflecting on his current situation, Thompson said, “All I’m trying to do right now is get back on my feet after everything that’s happened. Nobody has reached out to me with any updates on my case since the last contact I had with authorities. Right now I’m still homeless, I don’t have a permanent place to stay. I’ve been bouncing between friends’ couches, begging for a place to sleep each night. This whole situation just doesn’t make any sense.”
Chang is scheduled to appear back in court for a follow-up hearing on November 13. Britney Gordon reporting for News Five.