Daisy Whitaker, 67, was found murdered in her Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, home on October 22, 2000. She had been seen the previous evening at a local bar and left with a man named Rodney Bixler to attend a private-party gathering; witnesses said they talked and danced together before leaving in Whitaker’s car. Her vehicle was later found abandoned in Lexington the next morning. Whitaker’s granddaughter, Amanda Hayes, discovered her body in the bathtub and emergency services were notified. An autopsy confirmed she had been strangled to death.

The investigation quickly centered on Rodney Bixler. He admitted being with Whitaker that night and acknowledged going to her home but said their interaction was consensual. DNA evidence tied him to the scene, and he was arrested on November 1, 2000. Bixler was convicted of Whitaker’s murder and the theft of her car and received a 29-year prison sentence.