In the late hours of a summer night in Louisville, Kentucky, the life of 19-year-old Kaleb Wayne Woolen was tragically cut short. On Monday, August 10, 2020, Woolen was found deceased on the side of Manslick Road, the victim of a fatal gunshot wound. The Jefferson County Coroner's Office pronounced him dead at 12:36 a.m., shortly after police responded to a call about a person down near the Watterson Expressway.
It was evident to the responding officers that he was a victim of foul play.
The investigation into Woolen's death quickly led to two individuals: 32-year-old Elizabeth Miller and 18-year-old Skender Fazliji. Authorities alleged that Miller was angry with Woolen, believing he had stolen from her. Seeking retribution, she reportedly enlisted Fazliji to rob him. According to police reports, Miller picked up Fazliji in her vehicle before they, along with two other friends, picked up Woolen. Fazliji later admitted to police that he pulled a gun on Woolen, demanded his belongings, and then shot him in the chest. After the shooting, Woolen's body was left on Manslick Road.
Both Miller and Fazliji were arrested on August 13, 2020. Fazliji was charged with murder and first-degree robbery. Miller faced charges of facilitation of murder, facilitation of first-degree robbery, and tampering with physical evidence. In August 2023, three years after Woolen's death, Elizabeth Miller pleaded guilty to the charges against her. As part of a plea agreement, she was expected to testify against her co-defendant, Skender Fazliji, and faced a potential sentence of 11 to 15 years in prison. Woolen's family, while acknowledging that nothing could bring him back, expressed their exhaustion with the prolonged legal process and their desire for justice.
