In the summer of 2021, the life of Kerry Wayne Freeberg, a 58-year-old male from New Albany, Indiana, came to a tragic end. On Monday, June 14, 2021, his body was discovered near the Kentucky & Indiana Terminal Bridge. The Floyd County Coroner's Office later confirmed that Freeberg had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This discovery followed communications from Freeberg to the New Albany Police, in which he indicated his intent to harm himself.
Freeberg, a retired officer from
the Harrison County Sheriff's Department, had a public persona that included coaching volleyball and soccer, playing golf, and grilling. He was known as an avid fan of the Kentucky Wildcats and someone who enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. However, beneath this surface was a dark secret that had recently come to light. Just days before his death, Freeberg had pleaded guilty to seven counts of child exploitation and four counts of voyeurism.
The legal troubles for Freeberg began in 2019 when he was arrested after law enforcement discovered videos of nude girls under the age of 14 on thumb drives that belonged to him. The investigation revealed that he had used a hidden device in a bathroom to secretly record a 12-year-old girl and her friends. After initially pleading not guilty, Freeberg changed his plea, with his attorney stating the decision was made to spare the young victims from the trauma of testifying at a trial. He was scheduled to be sentenced for his crimes on July 1, 2021, a date he would never see.
