Michael Gaines Sr., 37, was found dead inside a burning vehicle on Cecil Avenue in the Chickasaw neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky, shortly before 4 a.m. on June 5, 2019. The scene initially appeared to be a crash and car fire, but an autopsy determined he had been shot to death before the vehicle was set ablaze. Neighbors reported hearing three gunshots around 3:40 a.m., shortly before the fire was discovered.

The Louisville Metro Police Department classified the case as a homicide and has listed it as an open investigation. No arrests have been announced and authorities have not publicly identified any suspects. The death left a family grieving, including his son Michael Lee Gaines Jr., who later died in 2024.

Anyone with information that could help identify those responsible is asked to contact investigators.