In the late winter of 2024, the life of 32-year-old Zachary Cody Boyd was tragically cut short in the parking lot of a Walmart in Lebanon, Virginia. On March 5th, what began as a verbal dispute escalated to a fatal encounter. Boyd, a resident of Honaker and an employee of J-Mar, was shot and killed, leaving a community in shock and a family to grapple with a sudden and violent loss.
A lifelong resident of the area and a 2011 graduate of Honaker High School, he was known for his passion for Ford Mustangs.
The man responsible for Boyd's death was identified as 71-year-old Dennis Dee Gilbert. Following the shooting, Gilbert was arrested and faced the legal consequences of his actions. The investigation revealed that the incident stemmed from an argument between the two men. It also came to light that just a week prior to the fatal shooting, Gilbert had been charged with brandishing a firearm in Lebanon, an event that foreshadowed the violence to come.
In October, a Russell County jury found Dennis Gilbert guilty of second-degree murder in the killing of Zachary Boyd. In addition to the murder charge, Gilbert was also convicted of the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and shooting in a public place. During the legal proceedings, Boyd's family described Gilbert as a threat to public safety. On January 16, 2025, Gilbert was sentenced to a total of 19 years in a Virginia prison for his role in the death of Zachary Cody Boyd, bringing a measure of closure to a case that had deeply affected the Lebanon community.
