In a quiet Waynesburg, Pennsylvania apartment, a grim discovery was made on Monday, February 14, 2022. The bodies of 54-year-old Kevin Lamar Williford and 47-year-old Judy Butler Hunter were found by their landlord, who had not heard from them in several days. Both had been fatally shot in the head, and their deaths were quickly ruled a double homicide by the Greene County coroner.
Williford, originally from out of state, and Hunter, a Greene County native, had been living in the South Morris Street apartment for about three months before their lives were tragically cut short.
The investigation into the double homicide led Waynesburg police to two individuals who were known to the victims. Cortland Rogers and his girlfriend, Shawna Smith, were arrested and charged in connection with the murders. The motive appeared to stem from a dispute over missing jewelry and drug money. According to the criminal complaint, Rogers and Smith had been staying with Williford and Hunter at one point and had returned to confront them about the missing items. During police interviews, the couple reportedly blamed each other for pulling the trigger. A chilling detail emerged when police stated that Rogers had told Smith, 'We can't leave any witnesses.'
The legal proceedings following the arrests brought some measure of justice for the victims. Cortland Rogers eventually pleaded guilty to the murders and is serving a life sentence in prison. In addition to the life sentence, he received a sentence of 15 to 60 years for two counts of kidnapping and one count each of aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy related to a separate incident that occurred on the same day the bodies were discovered.
The case against Shawna Smith has taken a different path. In April 2025, prosecutors announced their intention to drop the homicide charge against Smith in relation to Kevin Williford's death. However, they planned to add a charge of criminal solicitation to commit homicide in Judy Hunter's death. This change was based on testimony from Cortland Rogers during his plea hearing, where he claimed that Smith had urged him to 'leave no witnesses.' Smith's trial is scheduled to take place in September 2025. Initially, the district attorney had considered seeking the death penalty for both Rogers and Smith.
