SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The unsolved murder of 14-year-old Adam Ashley in 1979 continues to haunt his family as they search for answers and justice decades later.
For many, the beach is a place of peace and relaxation. But for Terri Ashley-MacQuarrie, Torrey Pines State Beach holds only painful memories.
"It can't be because something truly terrible happened here and the rocks are still here," Ashley-MacQuarrie said.
In May 1979, her brother Adam Ashley was just days away from celebrating his 15th birthday when his life was cut short. The family was living in Cardiff, while Adam stayed with a foster parent in Del Mar.
Life had already dealt the family significant hardship. Their father had died in a plane crash when they were toddlers, leaving their mother to raise them alone.
"It's hard, it's hard being raised by a single mom and she was absolutely struggling to raise us and not having enough money," Ashley-MacQuarrie said.
Despite their challenges, Adam's mother, twin brother, and older sister, Terri, prepared to celebrate his birthday.
"Bought presents and everything, still planning to see him later in the week for his birthday," Ashley-MacQuarrie said.
But Adam's birthday came and went with no sign of him. Their mother checked in daily with the foster parent.
"The foster parent just kept saying the same thing over and over. I don't know where he is. He's not here. I don't know where he is," Ashley-MacQuarrie said.
About a week later, Adam's foster father called law enforcement and found out they had been running newspaper ads about an unidentified body. Detectives visited the home where Adam had been living.
"They showed him Adam's picture and the foster parent positively identified him," Ashley-MacQuarrie said.
Adam Ashley – a curly-haired teen who loved surfing and skateboarding, known for his extroverted personality and ability to make friends easily – had been murdered. A boy riding his bike to school discovered Adam's body near Tower 4 at Torrey Pines State Beach.
Terri, Adam's twin brother, and their mother had to identify him at the coroner's office.
"It was a nightmare inducing site to be there and to see him in that condition," Ashley-MacQuarrie said.
Investigators found Adam partially clothed and half-buried in the sand. He had been bludgeoned to death with severe injuries to his head. His killer has never been found.
"It's always limbo, right? It's living in limbo is a really hard thing," Ashley-MacQuarrie said.
For our interview, Adam's older sister returned to the beach for the first time since the years following the murder. The visit brought a flood of emotions and questions.
"Where he was, where it happened. What... Who it was, how many there were," Ashley-MacQuarrie said. "Is it one person? Was it a bunch of people? Was it connected to the other awful crimes that happened here?"
Eerily, three other teens were attacked on the same beach within a five-year period around Adam's murder. Two of the three were murdered. One of those cases also remains unsolved.
"There wasn't a similarity between Adam's attack and what happened to the women, but there are a lot of similarities between what happened to Adam and to Jim," Ashley-MacQuarrie said.
When asked if she still wants answers 46 years later, Ashley-MacQuarrie responded, "Yeah, we haven't forgotten. The impact of what happened absolutely destroyed the lives of my family."
The Ashley family was forever changed. Their mother died just five years after Adam's murder. Adam's twin brother has struggled throughout his life, as has Terri, particularly in how she protects those she loves.
"I have always been afraid. I have lived with fear my whole life. Fear for my safety, fear for theirs," Ashley-MacQuarrie said.
With little DNA or physical evidence remaining, the Ashley family hopes someone with information about Adam's murder will come forward so they can finally find peace.
"I think he would have been a really good father. He would have really enjoyed teaching his kids to surf and play guitar and to skateboard and just have fun," Ashley-MacQuarrie said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
