Background: South Spring Street in Morehead, Kentucky (Google Maps). Inset: Joshua Cottrell (McCracken County Jail).
A mother and daughter in Kentucky are dead in an apparent double murder, and authorities believe they have the man who did it in custody.
Joshua Cottrell, aged 44, faces charges of two counts of murder for the deaths of 37-year-old Kayla Blake and her 13-year-old daughter, Kennedi McWhorter, according to the Kentucky State Police.
The defendant also faces a charge of tampering with physical evidence.
On Friday, a colleague of Blake’s decided to visit their residence on South Spring Street in Morehead, Kentucky, after Blake failed to show up at work, as reported by the Rowan County Coroner’s Office.
Authorities were summoned to the scene, and upon arrival, first responders discovered “two obvious deceased individuals,” though they have not disclosed how they died. Both Blake and her daughter were declared dead at the location.
Cottrell was identified as the suspect; however, he was not present in Morehead or nearby, as stated by state troopers. The suspect was located in a hospital near Paducah, Kentucky, which is over 300 miles to the west.
At about 2 p.m., Cottrell was released from the hospital, arrested, and booked into the McCracken County Jail.
Details on whether the suspect’s injuries relate to the alleged double murder or his possible connection to the victims remain undisclosed by officials.
Neighbors said their street is quiet, and they expressed shock and sadness over the deaths.
“Really great family,” Robert Suarez III shared with local CBS affiliate WYMT. He mentioned that his daughter had played softball with Blake a few times, portraying Blake as a “really, really sweet lady.”
The multi-agency investigation is ongoing.
