In Beattyville, Kentucky, a welfare check on a residence on Sally Davis Road on the afternoon of Monday, June 16, 2025, led to a grim discovery and the start of a murder-suicide investigation. Inside the home, law enforcement found the bodies of 28-year-old Hayley Davidson and 48-year-old Bearl Ashcraft Jr. Both were residents of Beattyville and were believed to have been in a relationship.
According to the preliminary investigation by the Kentucky State Police, it is believed that
Ashcraft, who was a special deputy for the Lee County Sheriff's Department, fatally shot Davidson before taking his own life. The Lee County Coroner's Office pronounced both individuals dead at the scene from gunshot wounds. Their bodies were subsequently transported to the State Medical Examiner's Office in Frankfort for autopsies. The case is being investigated by the Kentucky State Police, with assistance from the Lee County Sheriff's Office and the Lee County Coroner's Office.
Hayley Davidson was a social worker for the state of Kentucky. Her death prompted an outpouring of grief, including a statement from Governor Andy Beshear, who expressed his sorrow over the 'senseless act' and offered support to her colleagues. The National Association of Social Workers in Kentucky also issued a statement mourning the loss of a dedicated social worker and highlighting the tragedy of her life being taken by the very violence she worked to prevent.
