In the early morning hours of July 27, 2026, deputies found 39-year-old Darin Ray Rice dead at a residence in the 15000 block of U.S. Highway 62 East in Horse Branch, Kentucky, after a reported shooting. An autopsy determined Rice died of a gunshot wound to the upper torso.

Investigators identified 36-year-old Jesse Baize of Beaver Dam as the primary suspect. Authorities say Rice and Baize were acquainted; the nature of that relationship and a motive have not been disclosed. Baize was arrested, booked into the Ohio County Detention Center, and charged with murder, failure to report a death, criminal trespassing, and tampering with physical evidence. He pleaded not guilty at an arraignment in late July 2026.

A long gun, described as either a rifle or a shotgun and believed to be the homicide weapon, was recovered from a pond off U.S. Highway 231 south of Hartford. Prosecutors intend to present the investigation to a grand jury. Does anyone have information about Darin Ray Rice, his activities in Horse Branch, or about the events that night?