Ky. missing person case ends with deadly shooting in Mississippi

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - A Kentucky missing person case ended with a deadly shooting in Mississippi.

Kentucky State Police had been looking for a 37-year-old Laurel County woman since she was last seen on Friday. It was suspected she was in the company of her estranged husband, 42-year-old Ronnie L. Martin. People who know the couple say they were separated.

Authorities in Mississippi say Martin kidnapped the woman from Laurel County. He was later shot and killed Sunday afternoon by officers in Senatobia, Miss.

The Tate County, Mississippi coroner told us Martin led authorities on a chase and got involved in a stand-off with police just before 5 o’clock Sunday. He was shot and killed by police after investigators say Martin pointed a gun at them.

One of our sister stations in the Memphis area was there shortly after the shooting and spoke to people who witnessed it. Witnesses say they heard several shots fired.

“I seen when the cops fired, but I heard two shots before that. Thinking the suspect fired at them and then they fired back, killing the guy,” a witness said.

We did find out that Martin and the woman used to live on Chestnut Way in London where police were called to a domestic situation back in January 2022. Martin was accused of 4th-degree assault. Court records show the victim asked that the charges be dismissed.

The woman who was reported missing was also found in Mississippi. We don’t know her exact whereabouts now, but the district attorney in Mississippi told our sister station she is now safe with her family.

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