Elusive Whitley County murder suspect has long criminal history

A southern Kentucky murder suspect remains on the run after several sightings over the few days, and his criminal past is just one of the reasons why many in the area are on high alert.

Nicholas Rucker, 38, is accused of murdering his girlfriend, 57-year-old Vicki S. Conner of Corbin. Conner was found dead with a gunshot wound Wednesday night in the Woodbine community on Ky. 1064.

Corbin officers said they saw a man matching Nicholas Rucker's description run into the abandoned old Mountain View Lodge near exit 25 in Corbin after a passerby called in a tip Tuesday afternoon. Whitley County Sheriff Todd Shelley said he saw Rucker Monday, but he was unable to capture him after a foot chase.

Rucker has a long criminal history. He was sentenced in Laurel County to 20 years in prison in 1999 after pleading guilty to murder.

He was released after serving 12 years of his sentence. He was eligible for Statutory Goot Time because the crime was committed prior to July 15, 1998. He also accumulated time off his sentence because of good behavior and participating in various programs.

Authorities in Knox County arrested Rucker in January on a drug charge and being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun. He was released from the Knox County Detention Center in March, as it appears a grand jury didn't indict him on the charges.