In the small city of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, a sense of unease settled over the community in February of 2000. Thelma Cornett, a 67-year-old woman, was found dead in her apartment on the fourth day of that month. The circumstances of her death were violent and disturbing; an investigation determined she had been strangled.
The search for a suspect in the death of Thelma Cornett would eventually lead authorities to Rodney Troy Bixler.
His name would become linked not only to this case but to a series of other violent crimes in the Bluegrass region. In 2008, Bixler entered an Alford plea in connection with the murder of Thelma Cornett and another victim. This legal maneuver allowed him to maintain his innocence while acknowledging that the evidence against him was substantial enough for a conviction.
For his role in the death of Thelma Cornett and other crimes, Rodney Troy Bixler was sentenced to two consecutive 20-year prison terms. He is currently serving his sentence at the Northpoint Training Center.
