In slain girl's family 'Ashley lives forever'

Although six-year-old Ashley Mance was shot and killed ten years ago--she will live on forever.

The mixed race girl was an outgoing kid who loved to draw and sing. She had an identical twin, whom was much more quiet than she was.

Ashley's life came to a tragic end late one night in April of 1999. In a racist rage, Jessy Roten fired a single shot at the home of his inter-racial neighbors. Ashley was shot in her shoulder area.

Ashley's twin, Aleesha, was shot by the same bullet but survived. The girls lived with their mother, Yahaira Carrittini, in Clearwater, FL but had spent the weekend at the home of their father, Terry Mance, in St. Petesburg. They were supposed to return home that night, but in a decision she now regrets, their mother allowed them spend an extra night.

On the night of the shooting Terry Mance tried in vain to save his daughter's life by performing CPR. "It's like everytime I blowed inside of her I heard the sound of air as if the air immediately exited her body," he said.

The bullet hit an artery and the little girl bled to death in her father's arms.

"Aleesha passed out a few times," Mance said. "But she didn't lose as much blood as Ashley."
In the beginning, relatives accused Mance of killing his child. "Even her mother was bashing me," he said. "Everyone was asking how can two people get shot by the same bullet."

Many felt that the shooter had to be standing within close range of the girls to have shot both with a single bullet.

It was later revealed that the bullet did in fact come from the outside of the house, as there was a piercing in the wall.

A large number of townspeople--mostly strangers to Mance--attended her funeral. She wore a pink dress in her open casket.

Terry Mance feels the murder could have been prevented had cops done their jobs correctly, earlier that night. According to Mance, there was a shooting and police were summoned. When the police arrived they spoke to Jessy Roten, but left without searching him. An hour later the guy returned and shot at the house.

"Had he been a black man they would have searched him and all of his friends that were with him," said Mance. "Ashley might still be alive today if only they had taken him down the first time he was out there shooting."

Roten was raised by his father who is a member of the KKK in Texas. He had recently moved to Florida with his mother, who had a different view and was not racist.

A search of Jessy Roten's home revealed KKK signs and Neo-Nazi pictures. Police concluded that he targeted the Mance residence because of the inter-racial marriage: Terry is black and his wife Tracey is white.

That fatal act of hatred costed him his freedom. He will spend the rest of his life in prison.
"The night of the shooting we moved out and never went back," said Mance. "We literally left everything and moved with nothing."

The family still celebrates holidays and they visit Ashley's grave. A celebrity baseball game was held in her name, igniting a huge crowd of people, and the funds went to her mother.