In the early morning hours of October 30, 2024, a fire call in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, led to a grim discovery that unveiled a double homicide. Firefighters responding to a blaze at a residence in the 500 block of Henon Lane found the bodies of two men inside. The victims were identified as 41-year-old Blake Colby France, a White male, and 43-year-old Anthony Garrett.
An investigation quickly revealed that both men had suffered gunshot wounds, and the fire was deliberately set to conceal the crime.
Witnesses reported seeing a gold pickup truck leaving the scene, a crucial piece of information that led investigators to a local motel. There, they located the vehicle and surveillance footage captured 45-year-old Dustin M. Caudill disposing of a handgun. A search of Caudill's motel room uncovered items belonging to France and Garrett. Upon questioning, Caudill confessed to shooting both men, stealing their wallets, and setting the house on fire.
The investigation brought to light Caudill's violent past. In 1994, at the age of 15, he murdered his mother and younger brother. He was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison but was released on parole in February 2020. Caudill now faces a multitude of charges for the deaths of Blake France and Anthony Garrett, including two counts of murder, arson, robbery, tampering with physical evidence, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, and wanton endangerment. The Elizabethtown Police Department was commended for their swift action, which led to the identification and apprehension of the suspect within hours of the initial crime report.
