Dustin Deaton was known by his loved ones as a kind, selfless man with an old soul. A 28-year-old from Barbourville, Kentucky, Dustin was a caring person who would help anyone in need, according to his brother, Jeffrey, who called him a gift to the earth. A longtime family friend, Shannon Eversole, remembered that he “didn’t have no ill words for anybody.” Dustin was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing, but his greatest love was for his only son, Maverick.
Eversole said that Dustin thought his son "hung the moon," and the little boy felt the same about his father. Marty Jordan, who is engaged to Dustin’s step-mother, felt like he was talking to a much older man during their long conversations and was shocked by his sudden death.
In the early hours of Sunday, October 18, 2026, that life of kindness and love was cut short. At around 1:30 a.m., Dustin was outside the Speedy Mart convenience store in North Corbin, near the intersection of Ky 3041 and U.S. 25. According to the Corbin Police Department, an argument broke out between Dustin and an 18-year-old named Mark Allen. As the dispute escalated, Allen allegedly shot Dustin. Officers responded to reports of shots fired and found Dustin with a fatal gunshot wound.
The Corbin Police Department launched a murder investigation, calling the case an active investigation. Detective Robbie Hodge described the crime as unusually violent and senseless for the city. “It was useless. There’s no sense in this. I can’t think of anything that would have made this even a reasonable crime to have been committed,” Hodge said. Those who knew Dustin found it hard to believe he would be involved in a confrontation that turned violent. “When they said he had had words with someone at a bar and it escalated to that point, I can’t accept that,” said Marty Jordan.
Later that same day, police arrested Mark Allen of Corbin and charged him with the murder of Dustin Deaton. He was booked into the Knox County Detention Center. The following day, on October 19, Allen appeared in Knox County court for his arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for October 27 at 11 a.m.
The news stunned the community and left Dustin's family and friends reeling from the sudden loss. They hoped he would be remembered not for the way he died, but for the way he lived: as a kind, loving, and selfless man. “That we just love him, it’s a hard goodbye,” Jordan said, expressing the family's profound grief.
The case against Mark Allen is proceeding through the court system. As of late October 2026, the investigation was ongoing. Detective Hodge has asked that anyone with additional information about the shooting contact the Corbin Police Department to help provide a full picture of the events that led to Dustin Deaton's death.
