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Background: The Adair County Regional Jail in Columbia, Kentucky (Google Maps). Inset: Phillip Hadley (Adair County Sheriff”s Office).
In a tragic incident unfolding in Kentucky, a father stands accused of fatally shooting his son following a “heated” argument at the residence of the father’s mother. The unsettling event has left a community grappling with the devastating consequences of a family dispute.
Phillip Hadley, aged 56, faces murder charges in connection with the death of his 33-year-old son, Jordan Hadley. Official records from the Adair County Sheriff’s Office confirm the charge, with the elder Hadley expected to make his initial court appearance for arraignment on Wednesday morning.
The altercation occurred on Tuesday around 3 p.m. in the backyard of a home located on Kentucky Route 55. According to reports from the Kentucky State Police, the father and son were embroiled in a “heated altercation.” As noted by regional ABC affiliate WBKO, this confrontation was part of an ongoing feud between the two men. The specific reasons behind their dispute remain undisclosed.
During the confrontation, Phillip Hadley claimed that his son had pushed him twice and made a threatening remark, stating, “This is going to end today.” As per the allegations, when Jordan Hadley advanced towards him for the third time, Phillip purportedly drew a .40-caliber handgun and fired, striking his son.
The father said his son pushed him twice before issuing the threat: “This is going to end today.” As Jordan Hadley reportedly approached him a third time, Phillip Hadley allegedly pulled out a .40-caliber handgun and fired it, hitting his son.
The Kentucky State Police and Adair County deputies were called to the residence due to a report of a shooting. When they got there, they found the younger man “seriously injured from an apparent gunshot wound.” He was brought to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Phillip Hadley was arrested and booked into the Adair County Detention Center. He allegedly told investigators that though he did not see a gun on his son, he believed in the moment before the shooting that his son was reaching for one.
The defendant’s mother is said to have witnessed the shooting.
Columbia, Kentucky, is located in the center of the state, about 100 miles south of Louisville.