James Randall “Randy” Edens Sr., a 60-year-old male from Burkesville, Kentucky, died on April 14, 2026, after a violent incident that began inside a residence on Red Banks Road and ended with first responders being called to what was first reported as a single-vehicle collision. Authorities later determined that the crash was only part of the story.
When a Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office deputy and EMS personnel arrived at the scene, they found Edens inside the vehicle suffering from a gunshot wound.
Edens was taken to Cumberland County Hospital, but his injuries were too severe. He was pronounced deceased by the Cumberland County Coroner. Kentucky State Police Post 15 was called in by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office during the evening hours of April 14 to investigate the shooting, and troopers and detectives responded to the Red Banks Road area.
Investigators said the events leading up to Edens’ death involved a verbal altercation between him and his wife, 52-year-old Heather Edens, also of Burkesville. According to Kentucky State Police, the argument occurred at a residence on Red Banks Road shortly before the vehicle collision was reported. During that altercation, investigators determined that Heather Edens discharged a firearm, and James Edens was struck by a projectile. The wound he suffered from that gunshot led to his death.
What initially appeared to emergency responders as a traffic accident quickly turned into a murder investigation. The vehicle collision brought deputies and EMS to James Edens, but the discovery of the gunshot wound shifted the focus back to the residence and the confrontation that had allegedly happened just before the crash. Authorities have not publicly described the exact sequence of how Edens left the residence, how the vehicle collision occurred, or whether he was attempting to get away or seek help after being shot.
Heather Edens was arrested by detectives and charged with murder in connection with her husband’s death. After her arrest, she was lodged in the Adair County Detention Center. Kentucky State Police said the investigation remained ongoing, with Detective Zach Scott leading the case and assistance from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Burkesville Police Department, Cumberland County EMS, the Cumberland County Coroner’s Office, and other KSP troopers and detectives.
James Edens’ obituary identified him as James “Randy” Randall Edens Sr. and stated that he was born on November 6, 1965. He was survived by his sons, James Randall Edens Jr. and Jeremy Seth Edens, as well as sisters, grandchildren, a stepdaughter, and step-granddaughters. His death left behind a family now connected not only to grief, but to a criminal case centered on a domestic argument that authorities say escalated into a fatal shooting.
