The Murder of Dominique Carter-Bryant

 

Dominique Carter Bryant was murdered outside of her Louisville, Kentucky apartment on February 9th, 2013. It’s believed the 30-year-old woman was about to enter the building at 6:15 AM that morning when she was ambushed with gunfire. Dominique was shot multiple times and died on the scene. Her assailant(s) fled the area before first responders arrived. 

According to reports, Dominique went out with friends the night before her murder. It appears that she was arriving back home at the Salisbury Apartments on 22nd and Magazine Streets when she encountered the shooter(s). Dominique’s husband, niece, and daughter, who was just 11 years old at the time, were all inside the residence when the shooting took place. 

Early into the investigation, Dominique’s mother Belinda Carter shared that she did not believe her daughter’s death was random. Carter told reporters, “They waited for [Dominique]. Whoever it was waited for her. Six o'clock in the morning....they didn't rob her, so this was done intentionally.” At that time, investigators declined to say whether or not they shared the same theory with Dominique’s mother. They have continued to remain tight-lipped over the years about the status of the investigation.

In fact, there has been very little media reporting about Dominique’s case over the past decade. Her murder still remains unsolved and is considered a cold case. The Louisville Police Department has agency over the murder investigation. If you have any information that could help solve the murder of Dominique Carter Bryant, please contact authorities at 502-574-7111 or submit a tip online.

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Sources:
Louisville PD
WAVE 3, (2)
WDRB, (2)
WLKY

The Disappearance of Crystal Branham Hall

Source: Kentucky State Police

Crystal Gayle Branham Hall has been missing since March 3rd, 2009. The then-24-year-old was living in Pikeville, Kentucky at the time of her disappearance. She was last seen at the apartment she shared with her sister on Kentucky Avenue.

Crystal was at home alone at the time she vanished. She was speaking on the phone to a friend when she said someone was coming in through the back door. The call ended shortly thereafter. Crystal has never been seen or heard from again.

When Crystal's sister returned home a few hours later, she noticed that Crystal was gone. However, many of her personal belongings were left behind. Crystal's coat was found on the couch, and her purse still remained inside the residence as well. 

Prior to vanishing, Crystal spent a year in jail on drug-related charges. She reportedly had been struggling with addiction, and as a result, she did not have custody of her three children. Still, according to Crystal's grandmother, Crystal still called her children every single day. Her loved ones do not believe she would voluntarily stay out of touch with them.

There were several reported sightings of Crystal around the Pikeville area shortly after her disappearance, but none of them panned out. As time continued to pass without any sign of Crystal, both local and online speculation about what might have happened to her began to build. Posts on a (now-defunct) message board called Topix indicate she might have been killed by a specific person, but nothing substantial ever seemed to come from these rumors.

There has also been speculation about the "someone" Crystal said was coming to the door while she was on the phone with a friend. According to Crystal's sister, the two of them would often say someone was the door when they were ready to get off the phone. Due to this, it's unclear if there actually was anyone at the door at this time. 

Over 15 years have passed, and Crystal still remains missing. Her loved ones are still searching for answers. If you have any information that could help solve the case, please contact the Kentucky State Police at 606-433-7711.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Reddit
Topix archive
Unsolved Appalachia
WYMT

The Disappearance of Rosalyn Velazquez

Source: Facebook

Rosalyn Velazquez was only 15 years old when she vanished during the early-morning hours of August 24th, 2020. She was last seen leaving her residence in the Azalea Park area of Radcliff, Kentucky. Shortly thereafter, Rosalyn reportedly told a friend on Instagram Live "that she had taken some pills and was walking in nearby woods." She never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again.

According to Rosalyn's mother, it was not unusual for Rosalyn to take walks late at night. She often traveled with her Chapstick and AirPods, but both items were left at home on the morning of her disappearance. Rosalyn also did not take her phone charger, extra clothes, or any other items that indicated she had run away. The only item that she did seemingly take with her was her prescribed medication.

Rosalyn was a student at North Hardin High School at the time of her disappearance. She was attending school online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The apartment complex where she was last seen is located within walking distance of the high school. Searches were reportedly conducted "in and around" the apartment complex and in the areas near her school. Detectives reportedly found no sign of Rosalyn.

Certain reports state that Rosalyn's phone "pinged in several different locations in the Radcliff area" after her disappearance. However, it's unclear where, exactly, the last ping occurred. It appears that the phone has since been disconnected. 

There is very little information about the investigation into Rosalyn's disappearance. A 2023 report on her case states that there are "dozens and dozens of pages of information Radcliff detectives have looked at countless times over the years since Rosalyn Velazquez has gone missing." At this time, it's unknown if detectives have any primary theories or persons of interest in the case. 

There is a monetary reward available for information that could lead to Rosalyn's whereabouts. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Radcliff Police Department at 270-351-4470.

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Sources:
Bring Rosalyn Home
Charley Project
K105
The News-Enterprise
WLKY, (2)

 

The Disappearance of Amy Lyn Hauter

Source: Help us Find Amy Hauter (Facebook)

Amy Lyn Hauter vanished at the age of 14 on January 15th, 2005. She was last seen at her residence in Fern Creek, Kentucky. Amy left home at some point overnight and never returned. Her loved ones have never seen or heard from her again.

The night before Amy's disappearance began as a seemingly normal evening. She met up with friends at the movies and was afterwards picked up from the theater by her mother. Amy's mother said she later went to check on Amy during the early morning hours only to find that she had left the residence again. 

According to reports, Amy was a "chronic runaway" and drug user during 2004-2005. Due to this, Amy's mother first thought that she would return after a few days. When Amy did not return by January 18th, her mother filed a missing person's report. 

Amy was classified as a runaway upon being reported missing, and as such, her case did not receive much media attention. In June 2006, a local news report listed Amy as one of four missing children in the Louisville area. The report noted that investigators still believed the children, including Amy, were still alive and possibly still in the Kentuckiana area. 

Several years have passed since that report, and Amy has still not been found. There does not appear to be any additional evidence that she is alive; there has been no indication of her getting a driver's license, nor has she accessed any sort of bank accounts. Amy's family does not believe she would voluntarily stay out of touch for this long.

Amy's disappearance is considered a cold case. If you have any information that could solve the case, please contact the Louisville Metro Police Department at 502-574-2111.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Front Page Detectives
Help us Find Amy Hauter
Louisville Police
WAVE 3
WDRB

The Murder of Angela Nelson-Carroll

source:wlky.com

Angela Nelson-Carroll was found brutally murdered in Louisville, Kentucky on May 31st, 2004. 

That morning, road crews were picking up garbage off of Gene Snyder Freeway when they spotted upon something unexpected: the body of a young girl. Police were called, and the area was subsequently closed off as a crime scene. A short time later, the body was identified as that of Angela Nelson-Carroll. She was only 17 years old.

Angela's death was labeled a homicide. She suffered head injuries due to blunt force trauma and she also had been strangled. It is believed that Angela was attacked before her body was discarded on the freeway. One of the road crew workers who spotted Angela's body said that it looked like her body had been purposely pushed/rolled down an embankment. 

No suspects have ever been publicly identified in Angela's case. Reports from 2004 state that Angela was married to a man named Robert Carroll. Robert, then 25, was incarcerated at the time of Angela's murder and was quickly ruled out as a suspect. A report on Angela's case from 2014 also references a boyfriend. Specifically, the report states, "at the time of her murder, Angela's boyfriend was questioned but was never named a suspect." 

It was also reported in 2014 that investigators initially had "several persons of interest but each one has been cleared." The same report said that DNA from the crime scene has been entered into the database, but so far, there has not been a match. Since then, it appears that there have not been any updates in Angela's case.

Angela's murder remains unsolved today. If you have any information that could lead to the arrest of her killer(s), please submit a tip. 

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Sources:
Vigil for Angela Nelson aka Angie
WAVE 3, (2)
WLKY

The Murders of Kathy and Samantha Netherland

 

Kathy Netherland (48) and her daughter Samantha Netherland (16) were found brutally murdered inside their Bardstown, Kentucky home on April 22nd, 2014. The two were found by Kathy's father Norris Hardin, after he was notified that Kathy had not shown up for work. When Norris arrived at their home, he peered through the window and saw Kathy on the floor of the dining room. He ran around back and saw Samantha. Police were called, and first responders immediately rushed to the scene.

Both Kathy and Samantha were brutally beaten, and their throats were slit. Autopsies confirmed that Kathy died from several gunshot wounds, while Samantha had been bludgeoned and stabbed to death. The brutal murders of the mother and daughter shocked the community in Bardstown. Those who knew Kathy and Samantha have struggled to understand why anyone would kill them. Kathy was a beloved special education teacher Bardstown Elementary. Samantha was a quiet, smart, and kind young girl who enjoyed singing in her high school choir. She was looking forward to attending junior prom with her first boyfriend. By all accounts, Kathy and Samantha were great people who were loved by many. 

Unfortunately, the deaths of Kathy and Samantha were not the only tragedy that the family had faced in recent years. Less than a year earlier, in July 2013, Kathy's husband Bob Netherland died of colon cancer. This left Samantha and the Netherland's older daughter, Holly, without a father. After Kathy and Samantha were killed, Holly was left without her both of her parents and her sister. 

Over the years, there has been a lot of speculation about who killed Kathy and Samantha, and why. Theories have ranged from someone known to them being the perpetrator, to their killings being part of an ongoing series of corruption in the town of Bardstown. 

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The family.

It's safe to say that anyone familiar with true crime knows that in a murder investigation, detectives often look first at those closest to the victims. In many cases, it is not unusual for a spouse and/or significant other to end up being involved. However, Kathy's husband/Samantha and Holly's father passed away months before Kathy and Samantha were killed. Kathy had not began dating anyone new since her husband's passing. Samantha's boyfriend was also just a sophomore in high school at the time of the murder, and he was cleared of suspicion.

According to Kathy's sister, Stacy Hibbard, the only person with something to gain from the deaths of Kathy and Samantha is Holly Netherland. After Bob Netherland passed away, Kathy raised her life insurance so both Holly and Samantha could be covered if something happened to her. Additionally, Kathy and Holly had an, at times, volatile relationship. Just two days before the murders of her mother and sister, Holly tweeted, "Ur words went way too far this time ull b lucky if I decide to come home."

Still, there is no known evidence that Holly's troubles with her family were not just typical troubles that many older teens/young adults have with their parents. According to Stacy Hibbard, Holly was actually unaware that Kathy had raised her life insurance policy prior to her death - which rules out money being a motive for Holly to want her mother and sister gone. Reports state that Holly was heavily scrutinized by police, but has never been arrested or even publicly named as a suspect. 

Stacy told reporters that Holly has been ruled out as a suspect, but police have not confirmed this. When reporters asked police if Holly was ruled out, an officer responded, "We’re not going to say whether there’s any potential suspects or we’ve ruled anybody out. Everybody continues to remain a possible suspect.”

Potential gang-related activity.

In 2018, reports began to surface about the murders of Kathy and Samantha potentially being gang-related. That same year, a docu-series about another young woman from Bardstown aired, titled The Disappearance of Crystal Rogers. The series investigates the disappearance of a young woman named Crystal, but it also touches on numerous other unsolved crimes in Bardstown.

During the finale of the docu-series, Stephanie Bauer spoke an anonymous inmate who said that the murders of Kathy and Samantha were part of a gang initiation. While Kathy and Samantha themselves did not have any known connection to gangs, the anonymous inmate claimed they were killed by people being initiated into a gang. 

When the reporter asked how he knew it was an initiation, he explained that a cellphone jammer was placed by the Netherland's front door to kill all the cellphone signal in the house. He also explained, "I know they was tortured. I know that they were tied to their chairs. I know that one of 'em had her throat slit. They was stabbed, and one was shot. I know that trinkets were taken as trophies."

The Netherland home. (wave3.com)

Reporters also spoke to Holly, who could not confirm the rumors about the gang initiation - but she said that it was certainly a possibility. When the reporters mentioned the cellphone jammer, Holly was particularly struck by this detail. She explained, "I mean, that would explain why they didn't get a call off because I know my mom always had a phone in her hand. Samantha, she ... I'd like to think that if something happened to Mom that she would have tried to get a call off. ... She would have had [a cellphone]."

Investigators have never confirmed the gang initiation theory. When these reports first surfaced in 2018, the Kentucky State Police said they were investigating these claims. It's unclear if they are still following these leads to present day.

The car.

On the evening of Kathy and Samantha's murders, a black Chevy Impala was captured on surveillance footage. According to reports, the car was traveling north on U.S. 150 from Botland into Bardstown. The car was also captured near the Netherland home that night. Police believe that the person(s) inside that vehicle are either responsible for the murders or know who committed the murders.

The black Chevy Impala.

Police have never located the car, or the driver. Still, the Kentucky police are adamant that the occupants of the vehicle witnessed something on the night Kathy and Samantha were killed. In 2019, a trooper is quoted saying, "whoever was in that car was in that house during the time this crime was committed."

Link to other unsolved cases. 

A little less than a year before Kathy and Samantha were killed, another Bardstown local was murdered: Jason Ellis, a Bardstown police officer. 

Ellis was driving home on May 25th, 2013, when police say he was ambushed. In a description from WAVE 3, "[Ellis] was taking Exit 34 off the Bluegrass Parkway where he stopped to remove tree branches blocking his path. The killer is believed to have shot him from a nearby hill."

Many speculated that the murders of Kathy and Samantha were related to Ellis' murder. Ellis reportedly had a son with down's syndrome, and there was speculation that said son was one was Kathy's students. This connection does not explain why Kathy, Samantha, and Ellis all ended up murdered - but it was certainly worth noting to investigators. Since none of the above have been solved, the potential connection between the three murders has not yet been ruled out.

Two years after these murders, another mystery occurred in Bardstown. This time, it was a disappearance. A 35 year-old mother named Crystal Rogers vanished on July 3rd, 2015. 

Crystal was last seen at her home, where she lived with her boyfriend, Brooks Houck, their two-year-old son, and her other four children. According to Brooks, Crystal was playing games on her phone when he went to bed on the evening of July 3rd, 2015. When he awoke the next morning, both Crystal and her car were gone. She has never been seen or heard from again.

Brooks a suspect in the case from the get-go, but it took years for him to be charged with anything related to Crystal's case. However, in 2023, Brooks was charged with capital murder and tampering with evidence. Joseph Lawson was also charged with conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence in relation to Crystal's case. The charges against both men are currently pending.

As previously mentioned, Crystal's case was the subject of a docu-series on Oxygen. The murders of Kathy and Samantha were mentioned and discussed on the show, as the series touches on the various unsolved crimes in Bardstown. 

The series also mentions the murder of Jason Ellis, as Ellis was a Bardstown police officer. Also a Bardstown town police officer: Nick Houck - brother of Brooks Houck. Nick Houck was eventually fired from the police force after allegedly interfering with the investigation into Crystal's disappearance. 

Sixteen months after Crystal vanished, her father, Tommy Ballard, was shot and killed by an unknown gunmen. He was hunting with his grandson on family property when he was struck in the chest. The grandson has been ruled out in the case, but no other suspects have been named.

From the years of 2013-2016, several murders and a disappearance occurred in the small community of Bardstown. There is inevitable suspicion that all cases are related - as they all remain unsolved - but this has yet to be confirmed. Due to the number of police officers involved in the various cases, there is speculation that the reason none of these cases have been solved is because there is corruption happening amongst the police force. 

Where the Netherland case stands today.

As of 2023, the murders of Kathy and Samantha Netherland remain unsolved. There is a $50,000 reward available for information that could lead to the killer(s). If you have any information that could help the investigation, please call Kentucky State Police at 270-766-5078.

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Sources:

The Daily Beast

Oxygen
WAVE 3
WDRB

WHAS 11

The Disappearance & Death of Paige Johnson

“GIRL. I need To Talk To You IMMEDIATELY!”

This message was the last known online communication from 17-year-old Paige Johnson, vanished on September 23rd, 2010. Paige posted this message on her sister Brittany’s (pictured above with Paige) Facebook page around midnight that night. Earlier that evening, she was last seen driving around Covington, Kentucky with 22-year-old Jacob Bumpass. Bumpass claims he dropped Paige off at 1:00 AM at 15th Street and Scott. She was never seen alive again.

Paige’s loved ones stated several times that it was very uncharacteristic for her to simply disappear. She left behind a two-year-old daughter. Paige also never indicated a desire to run away and stop communicating with her family and friends.

Over the years, many rumors spread on the web, speculating about what happened to Paige. There were two theories that seem to be the most prevalent: one is that Paige overdosed while taking drugs with Bumpass and he panicked and disposed of her body. The other is that Paige rejected Bumpass’ sexual advances and he snapped and killed her. Despite the rumors, Bumpass denied any involvement in her disappearance and authorities did not name him as a suspect for years—although they did state that he was uncooperative.

Nearly ten years later, Paige's remains were found. March 22nd, 2020, a woman called 911 after her husband reportedly found a burned human skull in a wooded area near East Fort State Park. Just days later, those remains were confirmed to be that of Paige Johnson.

Months later, on July 29th, 2020, Jacob Bumpass was indicted on charges related to Paige's disappearance.

The previous day, it was announced that Jacob was being charged with tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse. During a press conference, prosecutors stated that they simply do not have enough evidence to charge him with homicide, in part because Paige's cause of death has never been determined.

Nearly three years later, in July 2023, Jacob was found guilty of these charges. During the trial, prosecutors stated that Paige died while with Jacob during the early-morning hours of September 23rd, 2010. Jacob then left Paige's body unburied in a wooded area near State Route 276. 

Jacob still maintains his innocence and claims he does not know what happened to Paige. However, cell phone records indicate that he was in the area where Paige's body was found just hours after Paige was last seen by her loved ones. 

Paige's cause of death still remains unclear, so it is unknown if she was murdered or if she died under other circumstances. Jacob was later given the maximum sentence: 4 years in prison.

To this day, Paige's family members believe Jacob caused Paige's death. They hope he will one day face more charges in this case.

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Sources:
ABC 9 Cincinnati (2)
CBS News

The Disappearance of Kamaria Johnson

image source

Kamaria Johnson vanished in May 2021. Before vanishing, the then-16-year-old lived in Radcliff, Kentucky with her father, stepmother, and siblings. According to her father, Kamaria ran away after they got into an argument during the early-morning hours of May 26th. After leaving her home, Kamaria reportedly walked for over four hours until she got to a gas station in Hog Wallow. Once there, she was picked up by a man in a white car, who later said that he dropped her off at another nearby gas station.  

Source: WHAS11

Surveillance footage confirmed that Kamaria did, in fact, get dropped off at a gas station off Highway 60. The footage showed Kamaria entering the store, using the bathroom, then exiting on foot. She vanished very shortly thereafter.

Although Kamaria’s father said that she ran away after an argument, her brothers claimed there is more to the story. According to one of the brothers, their father “stomped” on Kamaria’s head, took away her cell phone, and locked her out of the house. Another brother corroborated this story, and said that he overheard their father tell Kamaria, “In the morning, you’ll be out of this house.”

Kamaria’s father reportedly went to work after this altercation, and Kamaria herself left the house. She left without her glasses, wallet, cell phone, and identification. Her father claimed that he noticed she was missing once he returned from work, and a missing person’s report was later filed. 

Kamaria’s family members posted about her disappearance online, which caught the attention of the man who picked her up at the gas station in Hog Wallow. Said man subsequently reached out to the family and explained that he dropped her off at the other gas station. Surveillance footage from the gas station seemingly confirms this man’s story, and he was not considered a suspect in the case. 

Scent-tracking dogs reportedly tracked Kamaria’s scent for more than 5 miles along Highway 60, but then it abruptly ended. It’s possible that she was picked up by another motorist at that point. 

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UPDATE (December 2022): Kamaria has been found alive. 

Reports state she was located safely in Memphis, Tennessee after she decided to reach out to her mother. Kamaria reportedly ran away to escape the abuse she endured at her father's home. After turning 18, she contacted her mother. Kamaria has since reunited with her mother in Kentucky. 

Sources:
Charley Project

WDRB
WHAS 11

The Disappearance and Murder of Savannah Spurlock

Savannah Spurlock vanished on January 4th, 2019. The 22-year-old young woman was last seen leaving The Other Bar, located in Lexington, Kentucky. Savannah was captured on the bar’s surveillance camera with two unidentified men. She FaceTimed her mother one final time at 3:00 AM. During the call, Savannah told her mother that she was out in Lexington and would come home soon. Unfortunately, though, Savannah never returned home and was never seen or heard from again.

The young men Savannah left the bar with were eventually located and questioned by police. The men were initially not named as suspects; however, investigators did not clear them either. Police also interviewed a third man who was seen with Savannah that evening. 

No arrests were made at the time, but a search warrant was executed at a home of David Sparks' parents.  A car was seized when investigators searched the Sparks' home. Sparks was later identified as one of the men seen with Savannah on the evening of her disappearance.

It was never believed that Savannah left on her own accord. She had recently given birth to twins in December 2018, and she also had two other children. Savannah’s loved ones described her as a dedicated mother who would not abandon her children. During her final FaceTime call, Savannah seemed happy and according to her mother, nothing seemed amiss. 

Months after Savannah's disappearance, police revealed a few more details about her case. It was then revealed that Savannah was taken a rural home in Garrard County by Sparks and the other men she was with at the bar. Police explained that they “have evidence to suggest [Savannah] went to the home, but nothing to show she ever left.” At that point, it became clear that investigators believed something awful had happened to Savanah.

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The men from The Other Bar.

(image source)

Police confirmed that Savannah did not know David Sparks or any of the other men prior to going to The Other Bar on the evening of January 3rd. David later told police that Savannah left his house on foot the following morning, and that he never heard from her again. It was clear that investigators did not buy David's story, but they still initially did not have enough evidence to charge him with anything related to Savannah's disappearance.

The other men present that evening were eventually cleared. They told investigators that they all drank at Sparks' house after leaving The Other Bar. The other men eventually left, but they noted Savannah was alive at that time. They also noted that it appeared Savannah was going in and out of consciousness, and David had touched her inappropriately.

It did not take long for David to become the prime suspect. However, Savannah remained missing, and they could not charge him with anything yet. That finally changed upon the discovery of her remains.

Finding Savannah.

Months later, on the evening of July 10th, 2019, human remains were found on the Sparks' property in Garrard County. The following day, those remains were identified as that of Savannah Spurlock. 23-year-old David Sparks was arrested upon the discovery of Savannah's remains. He was initially only charged with tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse. However, by the end of the next month, David was also charged with Savannah's murder. 

(source)

Plea deal.

In 2020, David Sparks pleaded guilty to the murder of Savannah Spurlock.

While in court, the plea deal agreement was read aloud. It stated, “During the early morning hours of January 4, 2019, at 118 Price Court in Garrard County, Kentucky, the defendant, acting alone, intentionally caused the death of Savannah Spurlock. After so doing, he bound her legs and wrapped her body in plastic bags. He later transported her body to (Fall Lick) and buried her in the yard behind that residence. He did so with the intent to elude apprehension for the murder and to impair the evidence’s availability in any future proceeding pertaining to that crime.”

A true motive for Savannah's murder still remains unclear. An investigative file was released on the case, which contains handwritten admissions from David that he is a "psychopath." He called himself a psychopath in a letter found by his bedside table but told investigators it was not related to Savannah's case. However, he also mentioned that he was profiled as a psychopath as well. While this does not provide a true motive, it does provide some insight into his state-of-mind.

As part of his plea deal, Sparks was sentenced to 50 years in prison. He remains incarcerated today.

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Sources:
Courier Journal

Lex 18
People

WDRB

The Murder of Kristine Pierson

 

Kristine Pierson was only 24-years-old when she was found murdered in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17th, 2014. The young model's body was found during the early-morning hours by a passerby in the Portland neighborhood. Police responded to the scene in an alleyway near 33rd and Rudd and found a deceased female with burns over seventy percent of her body. The body was later identified as that of Kristine Pierson.

There are many mysterious circumstances surrounding Kristine's death. Her death has been classified as a homicide, but an autopsy was reportedly inconclusive--so her exact cause of death is unknown. According to family members, Kristine did not have any known connections to the Portland neighborhood where she was found. Additionally, it appears that the last few days of her life remain a mystery. Kristine was very close with her family members, but in the days leading up to her death, she had dropped out-of-touch. In fact, Kristine's mother reportedly planned to file a missing persons report on January 17th--but was notified that her daughter's body had been found before she had the chance. 

Throughout the investigation, detectives were able to collect DNA and interview several people of interest--but none of it resulted in an arrest or an identified suspect. Detectives revealed that they believed Kristine's body had been dumped in the spot where she was found, so they pulled footage from a surveillance camera in area. Unfortunately, on the day when Kristine's body was found, the camera was not functioning properly. 

Detectives were able to spot Kristine on footage from January 14th, 2014--three days before her death. That footage, which was captured on a different camera downtown, shows Kristine getting into a vehicle. An unidentified man was seen driving the vehicle. However, detectives determined that the vehicle was a rental that had been rented by a woman. Said woman reportedly hired a lawyer and has refused to cooperate with the investigation. 

The sighting of Kristine of January 14th is the last known sighting of her before her body was found. Her actions/whereabouts from January 14th-January 17th remain unknown. Both detectives and Kristine's family members hope that somebody will come forward with information that could help solve the case.

There is a monetary award available for anyone with information that could lead to Kristine's killer(s). If you have any helpful information, please go here to submit a tip.

The Suspicious Death of Lisa Cooper

 

Lisa Cooper was found deceased at the scene of a suspicious car accident on October 14th, 2020. The 46 year-old woman lived in Adair County, Kentucky at the time of her death. According to the Kentucky State Police, Lisa was driving a Toyota Camry eastbound on KY 900 shortly before 4PM when her car crossed to the other side of the road and hit a log truck. The driver of the log truck received minor injuries, while Lisa was pronounced dead on the scene.

Local media has portrayed Lisa's death as the result of a tragic accident. However, there are many aspects of the case that are quite suspicious. Lisa was married to a man named Greg Cooper, who had a history of domestic violence and other violent behaviors. According to Lisa's daughter, Greg was abusive towards not only Lisa herself, but her son with autism as well. Just a month before Lisa's death, Greg had made comments about hoping that Lisa would die. He also behaved suspiciously shortly after Lisa's wreck. After first responders notified Greg about the crash, he showed up to the scene to get Lisa's purse and then left before any other family members arrived.  Greg also proceeded to either steal or sell everything that belonged to Lisa--despite the fact that Lisa had left her house and her other assets to her daughter. According the daughter, Greg also got back together with his ex-wife the very next day.

In addition to Greg's questionable behavior, there are many suspicious circumstances surrounding the crash itself. The truck driver who survived the wreck stated that Lisa's head was down before their vehicles collided--which suggests that Lisa was already dead before the crash. There was also apparently no blood inside Lisa's car following the crash, nor were there any signs that she had suffered a stroke or heart attack. Lisa did have a history of drug addiction, but had gotten sober before her death. It appears that investigators still do not have a clear picture of what, exactly, led up to the crash. Despite the local media's portrayal of the wreck being an accident, the case is actually still open. Still, no suspects or persons of interest have been named.

Lisa's daughter firmly believes that Greg was involved in Lisa's death, and she is hoping to someday receive answers about what truly happened. Greg reportedly refused to move out of the house following Lisa's death, despite the fact that it legally belonged to her daughter at that point. Her daughter eventually had to go to court to have him evicted. Greg is currently incarcerated on charges of having firearms as a convicted felon. 

Lisa's death remains unsolved. If you have any information that could help solve her case, please call 1-800-222-5555 to submit a tip. 

The Disappearance of Jacob Tipton

Jacob Tipton (25) has been missing since April 23rd, 2016. That evening, he left the Berea, Kentucky apartment he shared with his brother after stating he was going out for the night with friends. Jacob never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again.

Two weeks after his disappearance, Jacob’s car was found abandoned in the parking lot of a cemetery in Hart County, Kentucky. The cemetery is located over 100 miles—approximately a 2 hour drive—away from Jacob’s home in Berea. According to Jacob’s mother, he does not have any connections in that area and it is unclear why he would drive there—or if he was actually the one to drive the car there himself. 

Jacob’s car was eventually towed to a used car lot, where it was cleaned. The police planned to sell the car as abandoned property, but then they realized it was associated with a missing person. Any potential evidence in the car was likely destroyed when it was cleaned. Since the discovery of the car, there have been very few other clues or details available about Jacob’s disappearance.

Berea Police are investigating. If you have any information that could lead to Jacob’s whereabouts, please contact them at 859-986-8456.

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UPDATE: In March 2020, Jacob's family members reportedly posted on Facebook that Jacob's remains have been found. Over a year later, local police and media reports confirmed that his remains were found in Hart County--not far from where his car was found. A cause of death has yet to be determined. 

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[List Series: Cases with Evidence Found in Unexpected Places]

The Murder of Johnny Young Jr.

Johnny Young Jr. (38) was murdered inside his home in Summerville, South Carolina on April 6th, 2012. 

Shortly before his death, Johnny found out that his fiancé Tara Spann was pregnant. The two were reportedly excited about the baby, and they planned to get married soon. On the morning of his murder, Johnny and Tara went to a local ATM to withdraw gas money so Tara could drive to Manning. Tara then dropped Johnny back off at his house around 10:30 AM.

About an hour later, Tara's daughter Jontyrah Dobson, then 19, and her friend Reginald Edwards, then 20, went to Johnny's house to hang out. According to reports, they entered the house after their knocks went unanswered, and then stumbled upon a horrific scene: Johnny was dead on his kitchen floor, and it was clear he had been murdered.

Jontyrah and Reginald immediately called police and said they believed Johnny had been stabbed. When authorities arrived, they determined that Johnny had actually been shot three times in the chest. In the days that followed, investigators conducted interviews and searched for Johnny's killer, but they were unable to identify anyone as a suspect.

Early reports about the investigation state that Jontyrah's cell phone was seized by police, but it's unclear why or if anything of interest was found. To this day, no arrests have been made in the case. There have also been very few reports about the case in more recent years. 

Johnny's murder remains unsolved. If you have any information that could lead to his killer, please go here to submit an anonymous tip. 

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Sources:
ABC News 4
Patch
Post and Courier

The Disappearance of Lisa Green

Lisa Green has been missing since June 25th, 2014. The 31 year-old was last seen at her father's home on Gilmore Lane in Louisville, Kentucky. According to her father, Lisa stepped outside the house on the morning of June 25th and never came back inside. She has never been seen or heard from again.

Lisa left her keys, identification, and purse behind. She also reportedly left behind a letter, stating that a man had been stalking her and threatening to attack her. Lisa's loved ones do not believe that she would willingly abandon her children or the rest of her family. In fact, Lisa's family members believe that Lisa was forced to leave. During a 2018 interview, Lisa's sister explained, "I think she trusted someone and they forced her to go with them, and they hurt her."This theory has not been confirmed, and it is unclear if investigators have any known persons of interest in the case.

Unfortunately, very few other details about Lisa's case are available. If you have any information that could lead to Lisa's whereabouts, please go here to submit an anonymous tip. 

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[Broad Daylight Mysteries Vol. II]

[Mysteries with a Paper Trail]

The Murder of Ryan Poston

Shayna Hubers (21) and Ryan Poston (29) were in a toxic on-again, off-again relationship that turned deadly on the evening of October 12th, 2012. Prior to that night, Ryan was working as an attorney in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky and Shayna was a recent graduate of the University of Kentucky. The two had been dating off-and-on for approximately a year and a half. 

Friends of Ryan say that he had tried to end his relationship with Shayna on numerous occasions, and that Shayna simply would not accept the breakup. When Shayna’s texts and phone calls went unanswered, she would show up at Ryan’s condo unannounced. She also would refuse to leave when asked. Ryan’s friends and family expressed their concerns over his relationship with Shayna many times, and he would always reassure them that he would finally end their relationship for good. Despite this, though, Ryan and Shayna always seemed to come back to each other. 

On October 11th, 2012, Ryan and Shayna had dinner at Ryan’s parent’s home and then returned to Ryan’s condo to spend the night. Once they returned to the condo, the two got into an explosive argument. While this was pretty common occurrence for the two of them, Ryan truly seemed like he wanted to move on after that. In fact, he had made plans for a date with a former Miss Ohio for the following night. 

Audrey Bolte, 2012 Miss Ohio

Shayna, however, was still not ready to let Ryan go. She once again showed up unannounced at Ryan’s condo on the night of October 12th. An argument ensued, and at some point, Shayna got ahold of one of Ryan’s handguns and shot him 6 times, killing him. Shayna called 911 ten to fifteen minutes later and said that she had just killed her boyfriend in self-defense.

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Police brought Shayna in for procedural questioning shortly after arriving on the scene. She requested a lawyer early on into the interview, and the police could not ask her any questions after that. Shayna, however, kept talking. Investigators say she rambled on about the incident and her relationship with Ryan to “anybody who would listen,” and that her story had several inconsistencies. Investigators also found some of her behaviors and statements bizarre.

At one point, Shayna was left alone in the interrogation room, where cameras recorded her twirling around the room and singing the words “yeah, I did it, I killed him” to herself. In addition to this and all of the inconsistencies, investigators say Shayna’s story also kept changing as she told and re-told what happened. By the end of the night, Shayna was charged with Ryan’s murder.

Shayna during interrogation (CBSNews)

Shayna stuck to her self-defense claims, while the prosecution argued that Shayna was obsessed with Ryan and wanted to fight for their relationship. When Ryan refused, she killed him. The jury sided with the prosecution and found her guilty of murder on April 23rd, 2015. She was sentenced to 40 years in prison. However, in August of 2016, Shayna was granted a new trial after it was revealed that a juror in her trial was a convicted felon—Kentucky law prohibits felons from serving on their juries.

After several months of delays, Shayna’s retrial finally began in August 2018, two years after her new trial was granted. This time around, Shayna was once again found guilty of the murder of Ryan Poston. She was sentenced to life in prison.