A Fourth of July weekend getaway near Lake Cumberland in Pulaski County, Kentucky, ended in the death of 35-year-old Thomas Wayne Dick of Aurora, Indiana. In the early morning hours of July 6, 2025, Dick and a lifelong friend, 35-year-old Anthony Scott Emerson of Batavia, Ohio, were at a remote lake house on Garland Road when an argument escalated. Emerson called 911 shortly after 1:30 a.m. and told the dispatcher he had just shot his friend, saying Dick had come at him and he felt he had no choice; both men had been drinking and Emerson said Dick was unarmed.

When officers and emergency services arrived after a response of more than 20 minutes, Dick was found deceased from a gunshot wound to his upper chest. Emerson was arrested, charged with murder and held on $1 million bond at the Pulaski County Detention Center while the investigation continued. On September 3, 2025, a grand jury returned a no true bill, reportedly citing a stand your ground defense, and Emerson was released. Dick’s family, including his sister, says they remain devastated and are seeking new information that could lead to the case being presented again to a grand jury.

Are there details anyone at the lake that weekend or investigators overlooked that could help Dick’s family pursue justice?