In the late hours of a Saturday night in Perry County, Kentucky, the life of Samuel Joseph Smith, a 38-year-old White/Caucasian male, was brought to an untimely and violent end. On March 30, 2024, along KY-550 near the county line shared with Knott County, a fatal shooting occurred. Smith, a resident of the Dwarf/Fisty area, was shot and subsequently rushed to the Hazard Appalachian Regional Medical Center, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The immediate aftermath of the
shooting sent law enforcement on a search for two male suspects who were reported to have fled the scene on a blue ATV, disappearing into Knott County. The Perry County Sheriff's Office began an investigation into the deadly encounter. As authorities pieced together the events of that night, their focus narrowed. The investigation led them to a suspect, and an arrest was later made in the neighboring Letcher County.
Johnathan Proffitt was taken into custody in connection with the shooting death of Samuel Joseph Smith. He was charged with one count of murder and one count of tampering with physical evidence. According to reports, Proffitt was allegedly a passenger on an ATV when he fired the shot that killed Smith. While initial reports mentioned a search for two individuals, the arrest of Proffitt marked a significant development in the case. The community was left to grapple with the sudden loss of 'Sammy Joe,' as he was known to family and friends, while the legal process against the man accused of his murder began to unfold, with jury selection for his trial scheduled for the following year.
