Murder victim Ashley Hudson's mother refutes claims she was involved in daughter's shooting death

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Murder victim Ashley Hudson's mother is telling us what she saw Monday night when her son shot and killed her daughter in a fight.

Tara Hudson spoke to us over the phone Thursday evening, June 19. She told us she was released from police custody late Wednesday night because -in her words- she was not involved.

Many of Ashley Hudson's family and friends have vilified Tara Hudson, accusing her of being involved in her daughter's death and even supplying her son with the gun that killed Ashley.

But Tara said that's not true, that she loves Ashley despite their differences. Tara said she stayed at the scene to comfort Ashley in her last moments.

"I can't even go to sleep. Because I keep seeing it," Tara Hudson said. "I keep seeing it."

Ashley was shot in a fight Monday night, by her 15-year-old brother.

Tara Hudson said she was with her daughter Ashley when she died. But friends and loved ones say Tara took off while Ashley died in the street.

Tara refutes that, telling us, "I stayed at the scene. I didn't leave. My kids left but I refused to. So I stayed."

Ashley's loved ones claim Tara drove the three children to Ashley's apartment for the fight. But Tara says the kids drove themselves; that Tara drove separately after learning there would be trouble.

She said, "Ashley was the one who called me. I was knocked out asleep. She said, 'Mama, I know you ain't got nothing to do with this. They want me to come to your house and I won't do that. I'm afraid if they come to my house what's going to happen.' I said, 'Call the police, stay in your house.'"

Tara says she tried to break up the fight between the four siblings, that she was inadvertently spit on and punched as she warned them they could go to jail. "I was begging them to leave. Leave her alone, let her go. And my kids just… they just refused to," she said.

We asked Tara if she knew where her son got the gun. She said, "No. And I talked to him. I finally talked to him today, but he didn't say anything. He just said, 'Mama, I'm sorry. I didn't try to.' That's the only thing he said to me before they told him he had to get off the phone."

Previous reporting confirms a contentious family dynamic, and that Ashley feared for her life years before she was killed.

She had active restraining orders against both her 21-year-old sister and against Tara, writing of Tara, "I'm not safe I'm [sic] fear she is going to kill me."

Tara also had a restraining order against Ashley, but said she did not want her harmed. "Any differences I had with Ashley, that's still my child. She's my first born."

Tara says she cooperated with police after the shooting and was willing to let them search her car, phone, and home. She said she told them everything she knew and saw and was released from custody late Wednesday night.

She said she loves all her children, but also blames them all for what happened, saying they could have listened to her and just walked away.

Instead, she's planning one funeral and preparing for three court cases. She said, "I love them all. I'm here for all of them. I'm here to bury my baby, and I'm going to stick by my other kids' side. No matter who was wrong, who was right, I have to be there for them all."

So far, Milwaukee police have not commented on anyone's involvement in the murder. The district attorney's office has not yet filed charges in the case.