Sherri Lynn Mitko, a 70-year-old woman, was found shot to death inside her home on Lower Line Creek Road in eastern Pulaski County near Somerset, Kentucky, shortly after midnight on August 12, 2026. Deputies with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office went to the residence during a welfare check and discovered that she had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Investigators quickly determined that her death was not a random act of violence but was connected to a home invasion and robbery at a residence authorities said had been specifically targeted.
An important piece of evidence emerged from a 911 call placed at approximately 12:07 a.m. Investigators said the line remained open and captured the voices of two males inside or near the residence. During the call, one of them could reportedly be heard expressing regret that Mitko had been killed and saying they should leave. The conversation also included discussion about a safe in the home. When deputies arrived, they found Mitko dead and located two cellphones inside the residence, evidence that would become part of the developing investigation.
Authorities eventually focused on a group of teenagers and an adult. A 17-year-old boy was charged with murder on August 16 after investigators alleged that he was the person who shot Mitko. Another boy, who was 15, was interviewed that same day and reportedly admitted participating in the robbery and home invasion. According to the criminal complaint, the younger teenager told investigators that he and the older teen had gone into Mitko’s home intending to rob her and that the 17-year-old fired the fatal shots. The 15-year-old said approximately $240 and some alcohol were taken from the residence.
Investigators said the two teenagers had been driven to Mitko’s home by McCoy William Chaney, 20, of Somerset. Chaney was arrested on August 17 and charged with murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary. He was lodged in the Pulaski County Detention Center on a $1.5 million bond. Sheriff Bobby Jones said investigators believed the house had been deliberately targeted and that at least one of the suspects had been there previously. Authorities characterized the killing as an isolated incident rather than a random attack on an unfamiliar residence.
Chaney publicly denied knowing that a robbery or killing was planned. He said he believed he was simply giving the teenagers a ride to a friend’s house so they could retrieve something they had previously left there. According to Chaney, he remained outside and realized something was seriously wrong when he heard gunshots. He also claimed the teenagers later threatened him, telling him he could be hurt if he left or told anyone what had happened. Those statements represented Chaney’s account of events and did not prevent prosecutors from charging him in connection with the homicide and alleged burglary and robbery.
The investigation widened further on August 19 when detectives arrested another 17-year-old boy and charged him with complicity to commit murder. That arrest brought the number of people facing charges in connection with Mitko’s killing to four: Chaney and three juveniles. Two of the teenagers were charged with murder, while the additional juvenile faced the complicity charge. Because the suspects are juveniles, authorities did not publicly release their names in the reports surrounding the initial arrests.
Mitko had lived a life centered heavily around family, education and helping others. Born May 15, 1956, in Champaign, Illinois, she was the daughter of James Byer and Alice Fitch Byer. She had worked for Discover Card and later became a teacher in Columbus, Ohio. After retiring and moving to Somerset full-time, she continued working with children as a substitute teacher for the Laurel County School System. Friends and relatives remembered her as someone who enjoyed creating things for others, including wedding dresses and baked goods, and who readily offered encouragement and advice.
Her death came less than three weeks after the death of her husband, Christopher George Mitko, who died on July 25. Sherri was survived by her son, Christopher Gregory Mitko, her grandson, three brothers, a sister and numerous extended family members and friends. What began in the early morning hours as a welfare check at her Somerset-area home developed into a homicide investigation involving an alleged targeted burglary, robbery and fatal shooting. As of the latest publicly available reports, four people had been charged, Chaney remained jailed on the substantial bond, and the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation was continuing as detectives followed additional leads.
