By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- State police are refusing to release further updates on the case of a woman who was killed while lying in the road on Dec. 4.

A senior Bureau of Criminal Investigation investigator says officials will remain mum until the case is solved, which she says could be in 30 days or so.

On the day in question, 33-year-old Ashley McDonald of Lyon Mountain, formerly of Massena, was struck by a car and killed while lying in the roadway on county Route 7 near Taylor Road. The vehicle was driven by Megan Phelix of Massena.

In a bizarre turn of events, McDonald’s husband, 34-year-old U.S. Border Patrol Agent Bryan McDonald, was charged about a week later with two felony assault counts for allegedly beating an elderly couple who happened upon the accident scene and stopped to help.

Senior Inv. Judith Trimboli refused to say if police are investigating McDonald’s death as a homicide or if Phelix will be charged. She also would not say if the coroner has ruled on the manner of death.

“I am not answering any of those questions at this point in time,” she said.

She said Tuesday afternoon that the case “involves a lot of analysis, a lot of interviews.”

“There are a lot of tasks that have to be completed,” Trimboli said. “We don’t know what it is yet, we don’t have all the results.

“I’m not giving it out piecemeal. I don’t think that’s professional.”

She said she doesn’t know how long it will take to close the case, but said it could be sometime in early February.

“I wish I did. I would imagine within 30 days,” she said when asked about a timeframe for solving the case.

She said the numerous state police divisions involved are taking their time analyzing, interviewing, and making sure their findings all make sense relative to each other.

“We need to make sure the answer we have marries up properly,” she said.

She wouldn’t say exactly if the Department of Homeland Security are taking a hand in the query.

“I would assume as [Bryan McDonald’s] employer, they’re probably interested,” she said.

“The Swanton Sector Border Patrol is fully cooperating with the investigation,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Benson-Fuller said Dec. 15, deferring further comment to New York State Police and the St. Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office.

She also said McDonald is on paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the case.

In the assault case against McDonald, the charges are felonies because of the age of the victims, according to a criminal complaint filed with Massena Town Court. State law upgrades and assault charge to a felony when the victim is more than 65 years old and the perpetrator is more than 10 years their junior.

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 and were released, state police said.