Background: The stretch of road on Kentucky Route 312 where the police chase reportedly ended (WKRC/YouTube). Insets (clockwise from top left): Jadeance Hale, Lila Asher, and James Priddy (GoFundMe).
In Kentucky, investigators suspect that a man abducted his girlfriend and her companion, ultimately taking their lives after she expressed a desire to end their romance.
The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office revealed that 21-year-old James Priddy is believed to have shot and killed 18-year-old Jadeance Hale and 19-year-old Lila Asher before turning the gun on himself. The tragic incident occurred on a Saturday night.
Around 10:45 p.m., the Barbourville Police Department reached out to the sheriff’s office, reporting that officers were pursuing a red Chevrolet Cobalt in connection with a possible domestic violence situation. Barbourville is a small community in southern Kentucky, about 90 miles from Knoxville, Tennessee.
Authorities report that parents grew worried when three individuals left a Barbourville residence “to grab some food.” Hale, who was Priddy’s girlfriend, had Asher accompany them for support.
According to a regional CBS affiliate, WKYT, Hale intended to break up with Priddy. Her distressed mother had reportedly called 911, tearfully stating that her daughter and a friend were in a car with a man who refused to let them go.
“She tells me that they got proof that this female has been trying to leave him all day. Trying to get her,” according to audio from a dispatcher. “This male has took off with her.”
Police caught up with the Chevy sedan, but its driver “failed to stop.” As the vehicle continued to race away, authorities tried to box it in, and the Chevy “struck a vehicle and stopped.”
When deputies went to the windows to check on the occupants, they saw that all three people — Hale, Asher, and Priddy — were dead. “All indications are that apparently James Priddy shot and killed Hale and Asher, then killed himself,” the sheriff’s office said.
The law enforcement agency stressed on Sunday that the investigation was ongoing.
A GoFundMe set up for Hale and Asher states that they were “two vibrant young women whose lives were tragically cut short.”
“Their sudden loss has left their families and friends in shock, struggling to find the words and strength to move forward,” the fundraiser adds. The women “shared a deep bond, always wanting to be together, and their loved ones are determined to honor that wish by holding their funerals side by side.”
A separate GoFundMe has been established for Priddy.