On a tragic day in Paintsville, Kentucky, 36-year-old Myrtle Renee Dorton-Pack, a White female, lost her life in a violent episode that also claimed the lives of two other family members. The incident unfolded on September 9, 2022, at the residence on Depot Street where Renee lived with her husband. It was there that she, her aunt Paula Wells, and her husband's uncle, Richard Morman, were all fatally shot.
The assailant was identified as Renee's 21-year-old husband, Ronnie R. Pack.
Following the discovery of the three victims, law enforcement began a search for him. About 90 minutes after the shootings, Ronnie Pack was located in the nearby Greentown area. An exchange of gunfire with police ensued, during which he was injured. After being treated at a local hospital, he was taken into custody by the Kentucky State Police.
Ronnie Pack was subsequently charged with three counts of murder and one count of first-degree wanton endangerment. In September 2024, he pleaded guilty to the three murder charges. The Commonwealth's Attorney for Johnson County recommended a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years. Family members described Renee as a single mother who thought she had finally found a good person in her new husband, whom she had not been married to for very long. The motive for the killings has not been made clear. The case has had a profound impact on the local community, prompting discussions about domestic violence.
