Update: Fatal stabbing suspect identified, still at large

Kentucky State Police are investigating a fatal stabbing in southern Whitley County Monday afternoon and authorities are still searching for the person responsible.

Jeffery Cole is wanted in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred Monday afternoon.

Police are searching for Jeffery L. Cole, 27, of New York, who is wanted in connection with the stabbing.

“No arrest has been made at this time. KSP troopers are actively searching for Jeffery Cole and are asking anyone with any information or known whereabouts of Cole to contact KSP at (606) 878-6622 or 1-800-222-5555. He is considered armed and dangerous,” KSP Public Affairs Officer Lloyd Cochran said in a release.

The stabbing apparently happened shortly after 2:30 p.m. Monday at the residence of Franzine Minchen at 841 Jordan Hollow Road.

Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputy John Hill points Williamsburg K-9 officers Jim Pool and Elijah Hunter in the direction where police think the suspect ran after a fatal stabbing Monday afternoon.

When Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene, Curtis Lawson, 55, of Siler, was found dead in front of the trailer of an apparent stab wound, and deputies learned that Cole had apparently fled the scene.

K-9 units from the Williamsburg Police Department were called to the scene, and conducted searches around the neighborhood with police dogs without success.

Over a dozen police officers responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.

Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley pronounced Lawson dead at the scene.

A wide shot of the crime scene where a fatal stabbing took place Monday afternoon.

The victim’s body will be transported to the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

Clyde Elswick, a neighbor who lives a couple hundred yards from the crime scene, said that he has lived on the street for over 20 years and it is a pretty good neighborhood.

He heard about the stabbing on the scanner.

“There ain’t no sense letting it bother me,” Elswick said about whether he was alarmed when he heard about the incident.

Kentucky State Police are conducting the investigation. KSP Detective Dackery Larkey is leading the investigation.

Officers or agencies that assisted at the scene included: Larkey, Croley, Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputy John Hill, Constable Dorman Patrick Jr., Williamsburg Police Lt. Jim Pool, Sgt. Brandon White, K-9 Officer Elijah Hunter, Detective Bobby Freeman, School Resource Officer Troy Sharp, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, KSP Lt. Bill Elliotte, Sgt. Les Moses, Sgt. Tony Dingess and numerous other officers in addition to two Whitley County EMS ambulances.

For more information, pick-up Wednesday’s edition of the News Journal.