West Virginia State Police Sergeant Cory Maynard was a dedicated officer, a husband, and a father to two young children. Friends described the 38-year-old White male as a great person who touched lives every day, whether through a simple smile or, as he was recognized for in 2015, by saving a man's life. His service to his community in Mingo County, West Virginia, came to a tragic end on the afternoon of Friday, June 2, 2023.
That day, Sgt. Maynard and fellow troopers responded to a shooting complaint in the Beech Creek area near Matewan. A man named Benjamin Baldwin had been shot with a rifle. When the troopers arrived, they were met with gunfire in what authorities described as an ambush. Sgt. Maynard was struck multiple times. He was rushed to Logan Memorial Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.
The shooting triggered an intense, seven-hour manhunt for the suspect, identified as Timothy Kennedy, 29, of Beech Creek.
Law enforcement agencies scoured the area, advising residents to shelter in place. The search ended around 10 p.m. that night when Kennedy, driving a stolen car, sped toward the police command post and was taken into custody.
Kennedy was initially charged with first-degree murder and held without bond. In January 2024, a Mingo County grand jury indicted him on charges of first-degree murder, first-degree robbery, disarming a law enforcement officer, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder for the shootings of Sgt. Maynard and Benjamin Baldwin. Kennedy pleaded not guilty.
His trial began in May 2026. Prosecutors argued that Kennedy’s actions were deliberate and malicious, telling the jury that body camera footage captured him telling the wounded sergeant, "God ain't going to f---ing save you." The defense claimed Kennedy was a drug addict experiencing a psychotic episode from heavy methamphetamine use and thus had "diminished capacity."
On May 18, 2026, after a 10-day trial, the jury found Timothy Kennedy guilty on all charges, including first-degree murder with no mercy. During the sentencing hearing, Sgt. Maynard's wife, Rachel, spoke of the devastating impact on their two children, who were growing up without their father.
In July 2026, a Mingo County Circuit Court judge sentenced Kennedy to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Sgt. Cory Maynard. He also received consecutive sentences for the first-degree robbery, attempted murder, and disarming an officer convictions, ensuring he will spend the rest of his life in prison.
