One minute you’re living the suburban dream—five kids, a beautiful home, a husband who’s a rising star in the legal world. The next, you’re standing in your kitchen while police tell you your husband was shot to death in a Walgreens parking lot.
This isn't just a scene from a movie. It was the reality for Ashlee Boyson.
The Ashlee Boyson Dateline episode, titled "Deadly Desire," peels back the layers of a story that feels almost too heavy to be real. It’s a narrative about a double life, a secret affair, and a confrontation that ended in a hail of gunfire.
If you've ever watched Dateline and thought, "How did she not know?" this case will make you rethink everything you think you know about intuition.
What Actually Happened to Emmett Corrigan?
On the evening of March 11, 2011, Ashlee’s husband, Emmett Corrigan, told her he was headed out to the pharmacy. Standard stuff, right? He never came back.
He was at a Walgreens in Meridian, Idaho. But he wasn't there for a prescription. He was meeting Kandi Hall, his paralegal and the woman he had been seeing behind Ashlee's back.
Their meeting was interrupted by Kandi’s husband, Robert Hall.
🔗 Read more: The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads: Why This Live Album Still Beats the Studio Records
Robert didn't just show up to talk. He showed up with a gun.
In the chaos of the parking lot, shots were fired. Robert claimed self-defense, alleging that Emmett had attacked him. The jury didn't buy it. Emmett was killed; Robert was wounded but survived to face the legal consequences of that night.
The Ashlee Boyson Dateline Episode Details
The episode doesn't just focus on the crime. It dives deep into the aftermath for the "other" victims—the families left behind.
- The Shock: Ashlee had just given birth to their fifth child only weeks before the murder.
- The Double Betrayal: She didn't just lose her husband to a bullet; she lost the version of the man she thought she knew to the truth of his infidelity.
- The Public Eye: Because the case involved a lawyer and a scandalous affair, the local media went into a frenzy.
Honestly, watching the interview is gut-wrenching. Ashlee talks about the "normal crazy person stuff" she did before the murder—checking phone records, feeling like something was off, and then being told she was just being "insecure." It’s a classic gaslighting scenario that Dateline captures with brutal clarity.
Why This Case Still Resonates
We see true crime everywhere now, but the Ashlee Boyson Dateline episode sticks with people because of Ashlee’s resilience. She didn't just crawl into a hole and disappear.
She wrote. She talked. She basically rebuilt her entire identity from the ground up.
💡 You might also like: Wrong Address: Why This Nigerian Drama Is Still Sparking Conversations
Most people would be destroyed by the revelation that their "perfect" marriage was a lie, especially while grieving a violent death. Ashlee chose a different path. She started a blog called The Moments We Stand and eventually wrote a book series about her experience.
Navigating the Legal Fallout
The trial of Robert Hall was a circus. The defense tried to paint Emmett as a brash, aggressive "alpha male" who provoked the shooting.
They looked at the text messages. They looked at the history of the affair.
Robert Hall was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with 15 years fixed. It was a legal conclusion, but for Ashlee and her five children, the sentence didn't bring Emmett back or erase the trauma of how he died.
Life After the Cameras Stop Rolling
What happened to Ashlee Boyson after Dateline?
She’s actually remarried now to Scott Boyson. Her family has grown even larger—she has seven kids in total. She’s turned her platform into a nonprofit called A Reason to Stand, which helps survivors of trauma and infidelity.
📖 Related: Who was the voice of Yoda? The real story behind the Jedi Master
It’s kinda rare to see someone from a Dateline episode find such a productive, healthy "second act." Usually, these stories end with the verdict. Here, the verdict was just the midpoint of the story.
Key Takeaways from the Ashlee Boyson Story
If you’re looking for the "why" behind this tragedy, there aren't many satisfying answers. People make messy choices. However, there are real-world insights we can take from Ashlee’s journey:
- Trust Your Gut: Ashlee mentions many times that she felt something was wrong. If your intuition is screaming, it’s usually for a reason.
- Trauma Isn't a Life Sentence: Healing is a choice that has to be made every single day.
- Advocacy Matters: Turning personal pain into a resource for others is a powerful way to reclaim a narrative that was stolen by violence.
If you want to understand the full scope of the Idaho "Walgreens Murder," watching the "Deadly Desire" episode of Dateline is the best place to start. It gives you the raw interviews and the evidence that prose sometimes misses.
To follow Ashlee's current work, you can find her blog or her book series, The Moments We Stand, where she discusses the nuances of "finding light" after a tragedy that would have broken most people.
Next Steps for Readers:
- Watch the Episode: Look for Dateline NBC Season 22, Episode 10 (or search "Deadly Desire").
- Research the Trial: Look into the Robert Hall trial transcripts if you're interested in the specific legal arguments regarding Idaho's self-defense laws.
- Explore Support Resources: If you are dealing with betrayal trauma or loss, visit the A Reason to Stand website for community support and healing resources.