In the late hours of a Tuesday evening in Ashland, Kentucky, the life of 30-year-old Lawrence Demetrius McCoy was tragically cut short. On August 13, 2019, police were summoned to a residence at 3217 Central Avenue following a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered McCoy suffering from gunshot wounds. He was a male resident of the home where the incident occurred.
Emergency medical services transported McCoy to King's Daughters Medical Center, but his injuries proved to be
fatal, and he died shortly after his arrival. The investigation into the shooting pointed to a domestic dispute as the underlying cause of the violent encounter. The nature of the relationship between McCoy and the alleged shooter was a focal point of the early stages of the police inquiry.
The investigation quickly led law enforcement to identify a suspect. James L. Reed, a 47-year-old man from Ironton, Ohio, was named as the individual responsible for McCoy's death. A warrant for murder was secured for Reed's arrest. In the early morning hours of the following day, a coordinated effort between the Ashland Police Department, the Lawrence County Probation/Parole, the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department, and the Ironton Police Department resulted in Reed's apprehension. He was located at his residence in Coryville, just outside of Ironton, and was taken into custody without incident. He was subsequently lodged in the Lawrence County Jail to face the murder charge.
