In the small community of Hector, Kentucky, a tragic event unfolded in the fall of 2015, forever altering the lives of one family. Goldie E. Bowling, a 41-year-old Caucasian woman, became the victim of a fatal shooting on October 11th of that year. A member of the Holiness Church, she was a mother to two sons, Jackie Nathaniel Bowling and Dalton Scott Bowling.
The incident that led to her untimely death occurred on a Monday afternoon and sent ripples of shock through the quiet Clay County community.
According to reports from the Kentucky State Police, an altercation took place between Goldie and her uncle, 64-year-old Joe B. Collins. The dispute escalated tragically, resulting in Collins allegedly shooting his niece. Law enforcement was called to the scene on Kentucky Route 149 in the Hector community at approximately 2:35 p.m. Emergency services transported Goldie to Manchester Memorial Hospital, but her injuries proved to be fatal, and she was pronounced dead on October 12, 2015.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Joe B. Collins was arrested at the scene. He was subsequently charged with murder in connection with the death of his niece, Goldie E. Bowling. Following his arrest, Collins was lodged in the Clay County Detention Center. An autopsy was scheduled to be performed by the state medical examiner to officially determine the cause of death. Funeral services for Goldie were held on October 15, 2015, at the Rominger Funeral Home Chapel, and she was laid to rest in the Collins Cemetery in the Bowling Branch Community.
