What did Edward Ahrens do? Suspect killed after abducted 11-year-old Tennessee girl found safe

Deputies from Catoosa and Knox counties shot and killed Edward Ahrens, 38. He was the suspect in the kidnapping of an 11-year-old girl near the Tennessee-Georgia line, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The abducted girl, Aubriauna Mays, who had been missing since Tuesday, January 30, was found safe early Friday morning in Hamilton County.

Her disappearance led to a joint effort by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) and Tennessee and Georgia authorities. The investigation led detectives to Hamilton County, where they confronted Ahrens near Chattanooga. He was then shot by officers, as reported by WDEF.

Late Friday morning, it was confirmed that Edward Ahrens, the suspect shot by law enforcement, hailed from Catoosa County, Georgia. Further revelations indicated that he had a criminal history. He served ten years in prison after being convicted on nine counts of child exploitation several years ago.

Before the fatal confrontation, authorities reported that Ahrens ran over three Knox County deputies. The Knox County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) confirmed that Aubriauna Mays was found alive and safe.

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Edward Ahrens involved in the abduction of 11-year-old Tennessee girl

In the early hours of February 2, Edward Ahrens, 38, was traveling south on Interstate 75 towards Georgia with an 11-year-old girl from Knox County, according to a release by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). Ahrens, the subject of a multi-agency pursuit, was followed by law enforcement from Knox County and Catoosa County, Georgia, as he exited in East Ridge, as reported by WTVC.

The 11-year-old girl, Aubriauna Mays, had been the subject of an Endangered Child Alert issued by the TBI on Thursday evening, January 31. She was last seen on January 30.

Following leads, detectives from the Knox County Sheriff's Office tracked Ahrens and Mays to the Tennessee-Georgia state line in Hamilton County late Thursday night. With assistance from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office, detectives located Mays and the suspect just after 1 a.m. on February 2.

The pursuit culminated near the East Ridge exit on I-75 South, as scanner traffic obtained from Broadcastify indicates. Law enforcement continued the chase onto the exit ramp, ultimately surrounding Edward Ahrens at Highway 41 and Ringgold Road intersection just after 1:30 a.m. on Friday, as reported by WATE.

Edward Ahrens hit three officers with his car. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said that Ahrens "attempted to hit law enforcement officers with his vehicle." The deputies sustained minor injuries receiving on-site medical treatment, while at least four officers fatally shot Ahrens. Per standard practice, the officers involved will not be named during the investigation and are placed on leave with pay.

Knox County sheriff's deputies, along with law enforcement officers from Catoosa County and local Tennessee agents, found Ahrens and the abducted child, 11-year-old Aubriauna Mays, around 1 a.m. The child, who had been the subject of an Endangered Child Alert, was found safe near the Georgia state line in Hamilton County.

At approximately 1:30 a.m. on Friday, the TBI confirmed in a social media post that Aubriauna Mays had been found safe near the Georgia state line in Hamilton County.

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Edward Ahrens's history of criminal offenses

Edward Ahrens has a troubling history documented on the Georgia Sex Offender Registry website. He is originally from Ringgold, Georgia. He was registered as a sex offender in 2012. Ahrens's record reveals a conviction in 2008 for nine counts of sexually exploiting a child in Catoosa County. The charges were from possession of child pornography depicting a minor engaged in sexual acts, as reported by WDEF.

According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Ahrens was sentenced to 40 years for these charges but was released after serving only 10 years. His release came with probation conditions. This included registration on the Georgia Sex Offender Registry, restricting contact with minors, and implementing a monitored computer usage policy, as reported by WTVC.

Edward Ahrens's criminal history extends further back, with a 2003 guilty plea to four counts of aggravated assault against police officers in Catoosa County. The indictment outlines threats made with a knife and physical assaults against two separate police officers. Despite being sentenced to 10 years, Ahrens served only slightly over a year.