Bell County Deputy Coroner Bill Bisceglia told The Daily News late Wednesday that no official date has yet been determined for the three victims, who were found Tuesday afternoon by a group of ATV riders on a dirt trail on Kettle Island.
“They were dead at least a couple of days,” Bisceglia said. “They may have been seen alive as late as Saturday or Sunday.”
Officially, for the coroner's office, the deaths are considered part of 2007's records and will be even if the date of death is determined to be Sunday, Dec. 31, 2006, Bisceglia said.
“That's because our office bases the reports on the date they were found, which was Tuesday,” Bisceglia explained.
Trooper Walt Meacham, public affairs office for the KSP's Harlan post, confirmed the identities of the victims as Arley Carnes, 49, and his nephew, Bryan Carnes, 31, both of Arjay, and Donnie Fuston, 56, of Pineville.
Meacham said no suspects have been specifically identified as yet, although there are “several persons of interest” that investigators from the KSP and the Bell County Sheriff's Office “are looking at.”
Meacham said the Harlan post received a call about a triple murder off Kentucky Route 221 in the Kettle Island area at 2:21 p.m. Tuesday. He said three bodies were discovered in a van by an area resident who was riding his ATV.
“All three victims suffered fatal gunshot wounds,” Meacham stated. He added that the triple murder case is under investigation by Detective Mitchell Williams of the Harlan post.
The Associated Press reported that Bryan Lewis of Kettle Island identified Bryan Carnes as his nephew. Lewis said Carnes was a coal miner with three children who will have to be cared for by their grandparents because their mother was killed in a car crash more than a year ago.
“I guess they'll be heartbroken the rest of their lives,” Lewis said.
Bryan Carnes' mother- and father-in-law, Wanda and Fred Foister, were among several family members of the victims who were present at the scene. Mrs. Foister confirmed her son-in-law to The Daily News on Tuesday, while Deputy Coroner Bisceglia confirmed the identity of Arley Carnes.
The victims were discovered slumped over in a white Chevrolet van on a dirt path by several ATV riders from the Kettle Island area who recognized them. The eyewitnesses told The Daily News that the men appeared to have been shot in the back.
Eyewitnesses at the scene indicated the area was frequently used for drug and alcohol partying, although no official reports have indicated this was a factor in the shootings.
Authorities are hoping the autopsy report will indicate when the men were killed.
Creech-Durham Funeral Home of Pineville is handling arrangements, which were incomplete at press time, for all three victims.
Investigators are requesting assistance from anyone with information that may lead to the identity of the killers by calling the Harlan post of the Kentucky State Police at 606-573-3131 or 1-800-222-5555 (toll-free) or the Bell County Sheriff's Office at 606-337-3102.
James-Clifton Spires is Senior Staff Writer for The Daily News. His e-mail is jcspires@middlesborodailynews.com. Staff writer Brandy L. Murray also contributed to this report.
Post a Comment
