In the late summer of 2017, a tragedy unfolded in the quiet community of Mount Washington, Kentucky, forever altering the lives of several families. On the evening of Saturday, September 16, Pamela Leonard, a 46-year-old woman, was at a home on Hill Terrace Drive. An altercation broke out involving Michael Smith, 48, of Shepherdsville, who had come to the residence. The dispute escalated with horrifying speed, ending in gunfire.
When police responded to reports of shots fired in the neighborhood, they discovered a grim scene. Both Pamela Leonard and another individual, 50-year-old Ronald Fowler, were found deceased inside the home. Investigators believe that Smith shot both Leonard and Fowler before fleeing the residence. The incident left the Hillside Terrace neighborhood in shock, with neighbors remembering Fowler as a kind and helpful man, always willing to lend a hand.
The investigation quickly led authorities to Shepherdsville, where Smith resided. About forty-five minutes after the initial 911 call in Mount Washington, another emergency call was placed regarding an incident at Smith's home. When officers arrived, they found him deceased from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Bullitt County Coroner's office and local police handled the investigation, which was treated as a double murder-suicide. No further arrests were made as the sole suspect in the killings of Pamela Leonard and Ronald Fowler was the deceased Michael Smith.
