In the late hours of a Monday evening in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, a 911 dispatcher received a startling call. On the other end of the line was 22-year-old Summer Adkins, who calmly stated that she had just shot her father. When police and emergency services arrived at the residence on Kentucky Route 321, they discovered the body of 62-year-old Jimmy Dwayne Harvey. He was deceased, seated in a chair, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Adkins remained at the scene and was taken into custody without incident, subsequently being charged with murder. According to the Prestonsburg Police Chief, there had been a disagreement or discussion immediately preceding the fatal shooting. By her own admission, Adkins was responsible for her father's death. Following her arrest, she was held at the Floyd County Detention Center while the investigation, led by Detective Dennis M. Hutchinson, continued. An autopsy was ordered by the Floyd County Coroner and was to be performed by the state Medical Examiner's Office.
As the case proceeded to a preliminary hearing, further disturbing details began to emerge. Witnesses testified that Summer Adkins had been a victim of sexual abuse by her father as a child. Adkins reportedly told police that the catalyst for the shooting was her recent discovery that a young relative was allegedly suffering the same abuse at the hands of Harvey. In a significant turn of events, a Floyd County grand jury ultimately decided not to indict Summer Adkins on any criminal charges. The grand jury's report indicated that after reviewing all the evidence and hearing testimony from family members, they believed a jury would not convict her under the circumstances. This decision brought an end to the prosecution of Summer Adkins. The case took another turn during a court hearing when Jimmy Harvey's sister, Tammy Adkins, was arrested after allegedly making threats against her niece, Summer.
