EKB News

Pikeville- A Pike Co Jury found Cory Chaney of Ashcamp not guilty in the 2005 death of Gregory D Fleming. Chaney was also found not guilty on charges of robbery and tampering with evidence. According to Judge Eddie Coleman’s office the jury deliberated for four and a half hours..According to police reports . Fleming’s body was found shot and burned in a vehicle in the Alleghany area of the county. A co defendant Arthur Adkins will stand trial next month.

The alleged gunman in a triple shooting in eastern Kentucky was arrested Wednesday morning at his home, authorities said. Billy Sartin, 47, was accused of killing 41 yr old Jeffrey Mattox, and 53 yr old Billy Proctor, and also wounding Sue Collins Monday night in Inez, about 37 miles north of Pikeville. He was charged with two counts of murder, and one count each of kidnapping and assault, said Kentucky State Police Sgt. Steve Spurlock. Sartin was captured after Martin County Sheriff Garmon Preece heard noises at Sartin's house while patrolling the neighborhood. Preece called for backup and Sartin was arrested without incident about 8:45 a.m. Preece said that Sartin, who was believed to be armed and dangerous while on the run, was not carrying any weapons at the time of his arrest.
The search lasted for 36 hours and even prompted school officials to cancel classes on Tuesday.

Police have declined to discuss a possible motive for the shootings and it remained unclear whether any relationship existed between Sartin and the victims. Mattox and Collins, his girlfriend, lived in a small house along the same street as Proctor in the Whickerfield neighborhood near downtown Inez. Sartin's home was less than two miles away. Neighbors said Mattox, Collins and Proctor were friendly, quiet residents, but Sartin was unpredictable, loitered around their neighborhood and had a reputation for intimidating behavior. Sartin, also known as William Ray Starr, is no stranger to the law. His rap sheet dates back to 1984 and includes charges for rape, stalking, assault, robbery, burglary and gun possession, though most of the charges were eventually dismissed, according to the county clerk. Sartin is being held at the Big Sandy Regional detention center in Johnson County.

As part of their Baby Day’s celebration, Wal-Mart’s Pikeville location held a giant baby shower for expectant mothers on the afternoon of Friday September 15, with over 20 soon to be mommies coming out and getting some very valuable information from Health Department officials.
“We’re telling them the proper way to restrain children using infant seats and also after they get out of an infant seat how to go into a convertible and how to use it and when to turn it forward facing” said Suetta Clevenger Program Coordinator for the Pikeville Health Department while detailing the useful tips that her and the rest of the Health Department staff would be speaking on.
“Also, Patrice Beverly is set up in the front and will be talking about smoking cessation for not only expectant mother, but for all of the customers.”
The shower also featured gift giveaways, fingerprinting for children by the Pikeville police department and other activities.
“This was for new moms and for mothers of babies up to six months old and it’s really just a celebration of mothers” According to Shelia Boyd, community involvement coordinator for the Pikeville Wal-Mart.

A manhunt is underway in Martin County for an alleged shooter involved in the murder of two men last night. The Kentucky state police received a call last night close to the 11 o’clock hour about an alleged shooting on Whickerfield Road in Inez.
According to the KSP 47 yr old William “Billy” Sartan also known as William Star, allegedly entered a residence, firing shots at Jeffery L. Mattox. Sartan then forced a female by the name of Sue Collins to leave the scene with him, even inflicting the lady with a gunshot wound.
Sartan then allegedly shot another man by the name of Billy Proctor. Proctor and Mattox were both pronounced dead on the scene and Collins is being treated at a local Hospital. Police are now on the hunt for Sartan and are asking for the publics help.
According to the KSP Sartan is described as having brown hair, a slightly heavy build standing somewhere in the range of 5’10 to 6 ft tall, possibly with facial hair. He is considered to be armed and dangerous and police are urging anyone who may come in contact with him to use caution.
If anyone has any information on Sartan’s whereabouts they are urged to contact the KSP at 1-800-222-5555 or their local law enforcement agency.

Three hundred plus volunteers
Seven Days.
Six Houses.
One spectacular cause.

Construction is under way on Harmon’s Branch as the Habitat for Humanity blitz build had completed three full days of construction as of press time.
The goal of volunteers, which kicked off the build on the morning of Saturday September 16, is to have six brand new houses completed by Saturday Afternoon. Those houses are going to families not as a hand out, but as a hand up according to habitat officials.
Recipients of a habitat home must put in what officials call “sweat labor” and help build their own homes. They also will be paying for the homes over the course of twenty years; however, those payments are without interest.
The point is to help families obtain their first home, and get themselves on their feet, and those receiving homes, couldn’t be happier about building; or more willing to sweat.
“This IS AMAZING!” said Christy Justice, one of the recipients of a habitat built house who detailed her feelings towards the people who helped to make her home owning dreams come true. “We have got to work with all these wonderful people, who are good Christian people, very hard working people.”

Blake Robinson president of Sandy Valley Habitat detailed the progress that workers had made as of Monday Afternoon. “We’re trying to get them all under roof by this evening (Monday). Drywaller’s will be here (Tuesday) and then we should be ready for people to go inside and paint.
“As the week goes along it gets easier, right now is the hard back breaking work.” Robinson continued. “We’ll be ready to dedicate these houses this Saturday.”
The dedication ceremony for the six houses being constructed, one entirely by women, is set to take place this Saturday at 3:00 at the job site.

Harold - The incident alarm was blaring at the Columbia Gas plant at Boldman Wednesday September 13, where a mock disaster was held as a way for first responders to test their skills in the event of a chemical disaster.
“He’s panic and pulled away and broken his hose near the holding facility, we have a small vapor cloud.” said Keith Hayes area manager for Markwest, a natural gas processing facility also housed at Boldman who described the scenario which responders were faced with.
“He’s unconscious but breathing and the emergency crews are checking him and preparing him for transport.”
Emergency crews from several agencies in both Pike and Floyd counties participated in the drill, which also saw the entire plant evacuated.
“It’s just a good practice drill for the possibility of something which could happen at a facility like this.”
Crews had only a general idea of when the drill would be taking place this morning and were unaware of what the possible scenario for the drill was when responding.

Pikeville- Theft, Major Drug Deals gone bad, a sexually explicit video tape, Murder and tampering with evidence… sounds like a Hollywood screen play but in reality it was the case that was outlined this afternoon during opening arguments in the murder case against 19 year Ryan Corey Chaney of Elkhorn Creek.
According to the indictments, Chaney and 26 year old Arthur Adkins shot and killed Gregory D. Fleming while robbing him on June 6, 2005. The men allegedly used physical force or threatened Fleming and later destroyed or altered evidence related to the case, according to the indictment. Fleming's charred body was found by authorities in a car near Allegheny Road on June 9, three days after he was reported missing. Chaney has alleged that he was forced to take part in the murder and that Adkins was the man who actually did the killing.

Commonwealths attorney Rick Bartley countered that, in his opening arguments against Chaney stating that several pieces of evidence point to Chaney as being the one with the motive to commit the crime. Bartley stated that Chaney had actually stolen a large amount of marijuana from Fleming and that the two had arranged to meet in the Allegheny area the evening of the murder in order to “settle their dispute”.
Bartley also described a tape found in Fleming’s house which contains explicit acts between the defendant and Fleming also pointing to that as being a motive behind the murder.

Defense attorney Agnes Sipple however, argued that Chaney was only a “High School kid” who was simply at the wrong place, wrong time and with the wrong people arguing that Adkins was the major drug dealer with a background more fitting of a murderer.
Sipple, speaking with EKB news inside the courtroom, had one statement to foreshadow her defense of Chaney saying “Corey Chaney made some stupid mistakes on June 6th, but that doesn’t make him a killer.”
Chaney and Adkins are standing trial separately with the Commonwealth electing to try Chaney first. The trial is expected to continue through at least through the beginning of next week.

Pikeville - The sound of the well over 200 motorcycles muffled the sound of hustle and bustle which usually fills the air on Cassidy Boulevard as the group of Bikers set out from the Parking lot of the Pikeville Wal-Mart on the Morning of Sunday September 17, for the 6th annual Trooper Island charity bike ride conducted by The Pikeville post of the Kentucky state police.
“We’ve had a good turnout this year and we’re always thankful to our loyal participants as well as the new people that showed up this year” said Trooper Scott Hopkins, Public Affairs Officer for KSP post 9, with a gigantic smile across his face as he surveyed the numerous Bikes which took over the Super center’s parking lot.
“Wal-Mart is always a good sponsor and Southeast Telephone took care of our bandanas this year.”
While Trooper Hopkins stated that this year’s turnout fell a little short of the largest turnout for the ride, he did express optimism that with more promotion, they can have an even better turnout in the future.”
“It has just been a great adventure and we look forward to it getting bigger and better each year.”
The ride’s route saw bikers set out from Pikeville through Letcher county on to Hazard and back down route 80 to US 23 back to Pikeville. Stops along the way included food, games and door prizes, given out to participants in Whitesburg and Hazard.
The ride, which is one of several fundraisers held throughout the year helps to send around 700 children to Trooper Island camp at Del-hollow Lake near Monticello for a fun filled week each summer.