Brian Michael Johnson, a 43-year-old male was killed on November 22, 2025, at his home on Coldiron Branch in Cumberland, Kentucky. He was found in the early morning hours with a gunshot wound at his residence, and despite the efforts of first responders, he did not survive his injuries and was pronounced dead later that morning. His death has been treated from the outset as a homicide by Kentucky State Police, and local coverage has emphasized the sudden and senseless nature of the violence
that ended his life.
According to state police and local news outlets, troopers from KSP Post 10 were dispatched to the Coldiron Branch Road home shortly after 4:00 a.m. following a 911 call reporting a shooting. When they arrived, they found Johnson suffering from a gunshot wound to the face; he was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead by medical staff. Other reports note that the Harlan County Coroner became involved soon after, and an autopsy was requested through the State Medical Examiner's Office in Frankfort to clarify the precise medical cause of death and document the circumstances of the shooting for investigators. Multiple agencies, including the Cumberland Police Department, Evarts Police Department, the Harlan County Sheriff's Department, and AMR ambulance personnel, assisted at the scene and in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
Investigators quickly identified a suspect: 45-year-old James Sizemore of Cumberland. Based on the initial investigation, a KSP detective determined that Sizemore was the alleged shooter. He was located and arrested at approximately 7:30 a.m. the same morning on Highway 119 and taken into custody without reported incident. Sizemore was then lodged in the Harlan County Detention Center and formally charged with murder. Authorities have not publicly detailed a motive, nor have they released specific information about the relationship, if any, between Sizemore and Johnson. Officials have described the case as an active, ongoing homicide investigation and have asked anyone with knowledge of the events leading up to the shooting to come forward, while emphasizing that all charges against the suspect remain allegations at this stage of the legal process.
Beyond the bare facts of the crime, Johnson's obituary and memorials portray a man deeply rooted in the hills of eastern Kentucky and devoted to his family. Born to Dellis Johnson of Jenkins, Kentucky, and the late Laura Hall, he lived “to the beat of his own drum,” with passions that included ginsenging in the mountains around his home, welding, hunting, and spending quiet evenings absorbed in documentaries. Those who knew him remembered his ability to make people laugh, describing an infectious, often hilarious personality that could brighten any room. He is remembered as a fiercely loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend whose sudden death has left what his family calls an “unfillable void.” Surviving relatives, including his wife and children, have asked for privacy, prayers, and justice as they grieve and await the outcome of the ongoing investigation into the killing.
