In the early morning hours of April 20, 2026, a sense of unease settled over Columbia, Kentucky, as a tragic chain of events began to unfold, culminating in the death of 37-year-old Michael Adam Curry. The day began for the suspect, 38-year-old Ryan Sneed, with a visit to Curry's home on Chestnut Grove Road. Trail camera footage indicated Sneed had arrived in his mother's vehicle around 1:30 a.m. but received no answer at the door.
It is believed he may have waited in his car for several hours.
Later that morning, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Curry answered the door. During their interaction, Sneed went back to his vehicle, retrieved a firearm, and shot Curry on his front porch. A family member of Curry's witnessed the horrific act on a security camera and immediately dialed 911, reporting that Sneed had used an AR-style rifle and had dragged Curry's body inside the house. The events that followed would grip the community in fear and end in further bloodshed.
When an Adair County Sheriff's Deputy arrived at the scene, she was met with a barrage of gunfire from inside the residence. The deputy's vehicle was struck multiple times as she sought cover and worked to protect another civilian who was in the yard. What followed was a tense, eight-hour standoff as more law enforcement, including the Kentucky State Police Special Response Team, converged on the property. During the protracted barricade, law enforcement learned that Sneed had made threats against his own family members.
Acting on this information, detectives were dispatched to two other residences in Adair County to check on the welfare of Sneed's mother and aunt. Tragically, they discovered 67-year-old Joyce Sneed deceased at her home on Lakeview Drive and 63-year-old Debra Clark dead at her residence on Henson Road. It is believed Sneed had killed both women before traveling to Michael Adam Curry's home. The standoff on Chestnut Grove Road finally concluded around 6:00 p.m. when Sneed, armed with a rifle, attempted to exit an upstairs window and was fatally shot by the KSP Special Response Team. Inside the home, authorities found Michael Adam Curry deceased. The investigation later revealed that Sneed was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing firearms. His mother had also sought domestic violence orders against him multiple times, with the most recent being issued just a month before the deadly rampage.
