Sergeant Cory Maynard, 38, served with the West Virginia State Police and was a husband and father of two young children. On the afternoon of Friday, June 2, 2023, troopers responded to a shooting complaint in the Beech Creek area near Matewan after a man named Benjamin Baldwin had been shot with a rifle. When troopers arrived they were met with gunfire in what authorities described as an ambush; Sgt. Maynard was struck multiple times, rushed to Logan Memorial Hospital, and succumbed to his injuries.

The shooting set off a seven-hour manhunt for the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Timothy Kennedy of Beech Creek. Residents were advised to shelter in place while law enforcement searched the area. The search ended around 10 p.m. when Kennedy, driving a stolen car, sped toward the police command post and was taken into custody. Kennedy was initially charged with first-degree murder and held without bond.

Sgt. Maynard was remembered as a dedicated officer who had been recognized in 2015 for saving a man’s life; friends described him as someone who touched lives with a smile. If anyone has information about the ambush or was in the Beech Creek area that afternoon, please come forward.