In the quiet community of Yeaddiss, Kentucky, the evening of Monday, December 10, 2018, was shattered by violence that claimed the lives of three family members. Larry Bowling, a 64-year-old male, was found shot to death inside his home alongside his wife, 61-year-old Norma Bowling. The couple's 38-year-old son, Chad Bowling, was discovered deceased from gunshot wounds outside a neighboring residence.
Larry was a retired coal miner and a lifelong resident of Leslie County.
The investigation began after the Kentucky State Police in Hazard received a call regarding possible shots fired in the Wolf Creek Road area of Yeaddiss shortly before 7:00 p.m. While responding to the scene, a state trooper's cruiser was intentionally rammed by another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle then fired shots at the trooper before escaping on foot. The trooper was not harmed in the incident. This encounter led investigators to a suspect in the triple homicide.
Authorities identified 52-year-old Paul Douglas Sizemore as the individual who had shot at the trooper and subsequently named him a suspect in the deaths of the Bowling family. A manhunt for Sizemore ensued, with law enforcement considering him to be armed and dangerous. On the morning of December 12, 2018, police received a tip from a resident in the Cutshin community of Leslie County about Sizemore's whereabouts. He was located walking in the middle of a road and surrendered to a Kentucky State Police Lieutenant without resistance.
Following his capture, Paul Douglas Sizemore was charged with three counts of murder for the deaths of Larry, Norma, and Chad Bowling. He also faced a charge of attempted murder of a police officer stemming from the incident with the trooper. Autopsies confirmed that all three members of the Bowling family died from gunshot wounds. Sizemore was taken into custody and lodged in the Leslie County Detention Center.
