In the late afternoon of September 28, 2023, in the rural community of Linefork, Kentucky, the life of 43-year-old Vanessa Rose Nessie Collier was tragically cut short. A white female, Collier was pregnant at the time of her death, and her unborn child did not survive. The incident unfolded on a logging road off Flintfield Branch, a narrow, one-lane road in the area.
The suspect in the shooting was identified as Vanessa's 39-year-old ex-boyfriend, Lawrence Eugene Halcomb.
Reports indicate that Collier's then-current boyfriend had gone up the road to look for her and was shot at but was not hit. Halcomb is then alleged to have turned the gun on Collier, shooting her in the face at close range before fleeing into the woods. Letcher County Coroner Perry Fowler pronounced her dead at the scene at 6:30 p.m. Following the shooting, law enforcement, including Kentucky State Police, conducted an extensive ground and air search for Halcomb, causing unease among local residents.
Halcomb, who had a history of domestic violence, was already wanted on two felony warrants at the time of the shooting, one of which was for the strangulation of his ex-wife. After a manhunt, Halcomb was arrested. A Letcher County Grand Jury later indicted him on a multitude of charges, including murder-domestic violence, first-degree fetal homicide, and first-degree robbery. He also faced charges of tampering with physical evidence for allegedly disposing of Collier's cell phone and shell casings from the firearm. Additional indictments were brought against him for prior incidents, including assault and strangulation.
