In the summer warmth of June 21, 2023, the life of 16-year-old Gay Mee Paw was tragically cut short in Owensboro, Kentucky. A student at Owensboro High School, whose family is of Karenni descent and had moved to the United States from Thailand, she was found on Willet Road near Ben Hawes Park around 12:30 p.m. with a critical injury. Rushed to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, she succumbed to what an autopsy would later confirm was a single gunshot wound to the head, ruling her death a
homicide.
The investigation into her death moved swiftly. That same evening, detectives from the Daviess County Sheriff's Office identified and arrested a suspect: her 16-year-old former boyfriend, Jeremiah T. Byrd. The community was shaken by the news that a life so full of promise—Paw had a passion for volleyball and dreamed of becoming a teacher—had been so violently ended. Friends and family remembered her as a sweet and happy person, a beloved daughter, sister, and friend.
As the legal proceedings unfolded, more details emerged. A second teenager, a 17-year-old male, was also arrested and charged with tampering with physical evidence and offenses related to a handgun. Byrd, however, faced the most serious charges. Due to the severity of the crime, the decision was made to transfer him to adult court. His identity, previously withheld because he was a minor, was then released to the public.
In March 2025, then 18-year-old Jeremiah T. Byrd pleaded guilty to murder, tampering with physical evidence, and possession of a handgun by a minor. During the legal process, he admitted to stalking Paw and having built-up anger. He confessed that after shooting her, he dumped her body before eventually contacting emergency services. In May 2025, a judge sentenced Byrd to 25 years in prison, bringing a close to the case but leaving a permanent void in the lives of those who knew and loved Gay Mee Paw.
