By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- A senior state police official says despite a Friday morning news report that there is no foul play suspected in the case of a former Massena woman who was killed in a roadway in December, investigators are not yet to the point where they are ready to say that for certain.

“We have no updates available to the media at this point,” Bureau of Criminal Investigation Capt. Robert LaFountain said late Friday morning. “We will have the results of our investigation at some point in the future.

“I would say that report is poorly documented, but I have not even seen the story yet.”

He was referring to a report where BCI Senior Inv. Timothy Peets is cited as telling a reporter there is no foul play suspected in the death of Ashley McDonald of Lyon Mountain. The 33-year-old was killed Dec. 4, 2015 after a vehicle driven by Megan Phelix of Massena allegedly drove over her on county Route 37.

Peets was not available for comment when North Country Now attempted to reach him by phone. Other investigators in the Massena office referred inquiries to LaFountain.

McDonald’s husband, Bryan McDonald, was also on the scene at the time of the accident. He has been on paid administrative leave from his supervisory post with the U.S. Border Patrol pending the outcome of felony charges filed against him in a separate investigation stemming from his alleged assault on an elderly couple who came upon the accident and attempted to help.

In June, state police denied a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request for the death investigation’s original police report. The request also sought any communications or interoffice memos regarding the case, and any certified records pertaining to the case, the Collision Reconstruction Unit report and the autopsy report.

LaFountain would not say if the autopsy and collision report have been completed.

McDonald’s husband is facing two felony counts of second-degree assault for beating the elderly couple who stopped to assist his wife at the scene of her death, according to state police.

The charges are felonies because of the age of the victims. State law upgrades an assault charge to a felony when the victim is more than 65 years old and the perpetrator is more than 10 years their junior.

McDonald was arraigned in St. Lawrence County Court by Judge Jerome Richards on April 18 and released under supervision of the county Probation Department. Court officials said they don’t yet have his next appearance scheduled.

According to statements given to police, McDonald struck Richard F. Ladue, 66, and Carol Ladue, 65, both of Massena.

Carol Ladue gave a statement to police saying she and her husband were returning home from the Massena Community Center in separate cars on county Route 37 Dec. 4 around 10:30 p.m. She said she was flagged down upon arriving at the scene and as she approached after leaving her car, McDonald started yelling at her and punched her in the face, according to her statement. Inv. Nick Arcadi filed a document with the court saying McDonald also kicked Ladue while she was down.

Richard Ladue arrived shortly after his wife, he told police. He got out of his vehicle and McDonald started yelling at him and struck him in the face, he told police. He said in his statement that he believed McDonald broke his nose.

Both Ladues sought treatment at Massena Memorial Hospital, according to documents filed with Massena Town Court.