In a quiet corner of Butler County, Kentucky, the community of Morgantown was shaken by the discovery of a local man's untimely death. On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 12, 2021, Kentucky State Police were called to a residence at 2739 Caneyville Road. Inside, they found 57-year-old Michael Embry, a White male resident of Morgantown, deceased. The Butler County Coroner's Office pronounced him dead at the scene, and from the outset, authorities suspected foul play.
An autopsy was promptly scheduled at the State Medical Examiner's Office in Madisonville to determine the cause of death.
The investigation into Michael Embry's death quickly pointed to a suspect. The following day, May 13, 2021, Kentucky State Police arrested 43-year-old Samantha J. Stewart, also of Morgantown. Stewart was charged with Murder and Tampering with Physical Evidence and was subsequently lodged in the Butler County Jail. Her arrest marked a significant development in a case that had cast a dark shadow over the small town. The community, still reeling from the news of the death of a man known for his love of fishing, now had a name to associate with the alleged crime.
Further details emerged following Stewart's indictment by a Butler County Grand Jury in July 2021. According to law enforcement reports, Embry's family had reported him missing on May 11, the day before his body was found concealed under a pile of clothes in a bathroom. The indictment suggested that the murder occurred on either May 8 or May 9. Stewart reportedly told police that an altercation took place after she woke up to find Embry making unwanted sexual advances. She claimed that in the ensuing struggle, she wrapped a belt around his neck and stabbed him multiple times. An autopsy later confirmed that Embry had been stabbed six times. In addition to the murder and tampering charges, Stewart was also indicted for possession of a controlled substance.
