A man from Kentucky, charged with shooting his boyfriend twice in the head and subsequently concealing the body with blankets, allegedly created a checklist of post-crime tasks, which included disposing of the body.
Daniel A. Kearney faces allegations of murder, corpse abuse, tampering with evidence, and animal cruelty in the second degree. The charges stem from claims that he killed his partner, Damian Poole, and two dogs in their home located in McCreary County’s Stearns community, as per an arrest citation reported by Fox 56.
Damian Poole’s mom reported him missing
The investigation began after the McCreary County Sheriff’s Office received a call on Sept. 9 from Poole’s mother, who reported him missing.
The couple had recently moved to the area from Colorado and were staying in a home on Farm Ridge Road.
Three days following the incident, Kentucky State Police searched the property and found Poole’s body in a “back room,” hidden under blankets, according to court records. Authorities reported that his ankles were tied with a nylon rope and that he had suffered two gunshots to the head.
Investigators believed it was likely that Poole had been dead “for an extended period of time,” according to the citation also obtained by NBC News.
Two dogs also killed in home of Damian Poole, Daniel A. Kearney
Police also discovered the bodies of two dogs inside the home. Both had been shot to death and lay where they’d fallen.
Upon inspecting the home, officers discovered multiple bullet holes, blood stains, a piece of bloodied cardboard near the entrance, various sheets, and numerous firearms, including an AR-style rifle in Poole’s suitcase.
In addition, investigators searched a camper on the premises, where Kearney was known to reside, discovering a checklist of actions planned to be executed after the murder.
“The checklist, as interpreted, appeared to outline steps for cleaning the house, eliminating evidence, repainting, and removing the body,” the citation noted. “It also mentioned burning any remaining items and scattering the ashes on roads, not within Kentucky. Alongside this notebook, all firearms and electronic devices were confiscated.”
Neighbors describe Daniel A. Kearney as “violent”
Neighbors told police that the couple often had “very loud and heated arguments,” and they reported hearing yelling and gunshots several weeks before Poole’s body was discovered.
They described Kearney as being “violent” and “aggressive.” One witness reportedly told police that when asked about Poole’s whereabouts, Kearney said he’d left in the middle of the night to go to another state, possibly Michigan, and had never returned.
Kearney, who was at home at the time of the search, was taken into custody and transported to the Knox County Detention Center, police said in a statement.
The investigation remains ongoing, authorities said.
