William Kistler, the mysterious 26-year-old companion of the Texas real estate agent who was fatally shot after the pair allegedly brushed against a parked Mercedes, has a lengthy criminal record.
According to FOX 4 Dallas, 28-year-old Ashlee Long was leaving a bar in downtown Dallas on April 5 with a group of friends, including Kistler.
Dallas police said that Kistler "reached out and brushed his hand along the passenger side of a passing Mercedes as they were walking across the street." Investigators said that 34-year-old Kendrick Finch then exited the passenger side of the vehicle with a gun and opened fire.
The affidavit states, according to FOX 4, that Kistler reached into Long's purse and pulled out his gun, and that's when police say Finch opened fire, striking both Long and Kistler. Kistler was able to fire back, but Finch then took off.
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Finch shot both Long and Kistler, according to police. Long later died from her injuries at the hospital, while Kistler survived.
Finch, who has a prior criminal history that includes drug charges and burglary, later turned himself in to authorities. He is currently charged with murder.
Kistler was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, a felony. He is being held in the Collin County Jail.
On March 7, prosecutors said that Finch fired "at least 8 times."
"From the evidence that I see, it is our firm belief that Mr. Finch was the first one to shoot. That he has to own. He fired that gun at least eight times. In a crowded residential-commercial street with cars and people walking all around."
Finch's attorney, Dallas County defense lawyer Josh Healy, said in court that the shooting was an act of self-defense and that Kistler "started everything that night."
"We know for sure Ashlee Long would be alive today except for William Kistler. William Kistler is the one who started everything that night. It showed in the video. It shows his actions, how he was acting. We don't have the toxicology report yet of these two individuals, but I can bet where that's going to end up. He's trying to fight random people on the street, and then my client's car, driving by at a normal rate of speed, gets hit," Healy said.
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Healy also emphasized the seven seconds it took his client to exit the vehicle.
"He goes over how, during those seven seconds, he says Kistler is trying to get a gun out of Long's purse."
"What I do know is my client never gets out of that car except [that] Mr. Kistler is reaching for that gun immediately . . . but if you watch that video, Mr. Kistler, when he's fighting around trying to get that gun and gets it, goes like this towards my client."
At that moment, Healy lunged forward in court, acting out what he claimed was visible in the video.
"And when he takes those steps towards my client, my client has every right under the law to defend himself," he said.
Finch was released on May 13 after posting a $500,000 bond. His release came after a judge denied a motion from his defense team to reduce the bond amount.
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Long's companion's lengthy criminal history, primarily misdemeanors, was brought to light after he was charged.
In April 2018, he was charged with theft of services valued between $750 and $2,500, a case that was ultimately resolved in County Court. Later that year, in November 2018, he was charged with assault causing bodily injury to a family member, another misdemeanor.
In March 2019, Kistler was charged with violating a protective order or bond conditions in a domestic violence case, which was also resolved without a felony conviction. In July 2023, he faced another theft charge involving property valued between $750 and $2,500, again concluding with a misdemeanor disposition.
In addition to these closed misdemeanors, Kistler is involved in two ongoing legal proceedings.
In May 2019, he was indicted by a grand jury for burglary of a habitation-a felony. After a period of inactivity, the case was reactivated and remains pending.
In July 2022, Kistler was charged in connection with a vehicle accident that caused at least $200 in damage. That case has also been reopened.
Fox News Digital reached out to Kistler's attorney for comment.
Henry Long, the father of the victim, released a statement mourning the death of his daughter and calling for Finch to stay in jail.
"Ashlee's life mattered. And so does justice," Long wrote on Facebook. "Kendrick Finch must remain behind bars - permanently.
"He made the choice to kill. He should not be given the opportunity to walk free and make that choice again."
Long said the pain of losing a child is "indescribable."
"But to lose her this way - to gun violence at the hands of a stranger - is a trauma no family should have to endure," he wrote. "Kendrick Finch made the choice to take her life. He didn't just end her future - he shattered the lives of everyone who loved her."
