In the late spring of 2017, a tragedy unfolded in the small town of Eddyville, Kentucky, forever altering the lives of one family. Lisa Ann Atwood Pace, a 51-year-old woman, was found deceased in her home on the evening of Tuesday, May 30th. The discovery was made by Kentucky State Police troopers who were responding to a report of a deceased person at the residence.
Her death was not of natural causes; an autopsy would later confirm she died from multiple gunshot wounds, painting a grim picture of her final moments.
The investigation into her violent death quickly led authorities to a suspect, a young man with a close connection to Lisa. Earlier on the day her body was discovered, 19-year-old Ernest Atwood Jr. had been arrested in Madisonville. He was found driving Lisa's vehicle and was taken into custody for driving under the influence and possession. At the time of his initial arrest, he was lodged in the Hopkins County Jail on these unrelated charges.
As the investigation into Lisa's death progressed, the pieces began to fall into place. By the early hours of Thursday morning, the Kentucky State Police had charged Ernest Atwood Jr. with the murder of Lisa Pace. The relationship between the victim and the accused was a sorrowful detail; he was her brother. The community was left to grapple with the shocking news of a life cut short, and the deeply unsettling circumstances surrounding her death at the hands of a family member.
