On a quiet Christmas Eve in 2018, the small community of Hitchins, Kentucky, was shattered by a tragic event that claimed the life of Rebecca Lancaster, a 49-year-old female. The day, meant for festive cheer and family gatherings, turned into one of sorrow and loss when state troopers were called to a residence on Winding Way shortly after noon.
Inside the home, they discovered a grim scene.
Rebecca Lancaster had been fatally wounded by a single gunshot to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. Alongside her was her live-in boyfriend, 54-year-old Billy Suttles, who had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
The preliminary investigation by the Kentucky State Police quickly pieced together the heartbreaking narrative of a domestic violence incident that had escalated to a murder-suicide. It was determined that Suttles had retrieved a. 25 caliber handgun, shot Lancaster, and then turned the weapon on himself.
While Rebecca Lancaster's life was tragically cut short at the scene, Billy Suttles was initially found alive and was transported to St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington, West Virginia. However, he later succumbed to his injuries, closing the final chapter on this devastating Christmas Eve tragedy. The investigation, led by a Kentucky State Police detective with assistance from the Carter County Sheriff's Department and the county coroner, concluded that there were no outstanding suspects, as the perpetrator had taken his own life.
