A routine barn fire call in rural Clay County turned into a full-scale homicide investigation this week after local firefighters uncovered a body hidden in the rubble. State police acted fast, arresting 28-year-old Dalton Bowling of Manchester and charging him with murder.
Emergency calls came in to Clay County 911 around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday night, pointing first responders toward a fire raging along Route KY-577. Volunteer crews from Burning Springs and Forgertown pulled up to find the structure fully involved in flames, sending smoke across the dark rural road.
Crews worked quickly to douse the flames before the fire could spread to nearby trees and brush. But as firefighters sprayed down the smoldering beams to cool the hot spots, they made a horrific discovery inside the burned framework.
Lying in the fire debris was the body of a man who had suffered an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Recognizing that the fire was likely set to cover up a violent crime, firefighters immediately pulled back and called state troopers for assistance.
Detectives from Kentucky State Police Post 11 in London took charge of the area alongside local sheriff’s deputies and the Clay County Coroner’s Office. Lead Detective Logan Gay spent hours gathering evidence and mapping out the crime scene before the body was moved.
An autopsy performed early Friday morning formally identified the victim as 40-year-old Nathaniel Carter of McKee. Armed with fresh details from the autopsy, state police focused their attention on Dalton Bowling, bringing him in for a detailed interrogation.
Bowling was locked up shortly after his interview and now faces a murder charge as state police continue putting together the timeline of what happened on KY-577. Investigators are asking anyone with extra information about Bowling or Carter on Thursday night to reach out to Post 11 as the court case moves forward.
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