A trip that began in Alabama ended in northern Kentucky with the murder of 36-year-old Girlis H. Serratt on June 3, 2021. Serratt, a male, was traveling with 32-year-old driver Tommy L. Hightower. The pair changed plans on the road and argued inside their moving vehicle on Interstate 71/75 about whether to stay in the area to look for work or return to Alabama.

The argument escalated and Hightower shot Serratt. Hightower then called the Boone County Public Safety Communications Center to report the shooting, exited the interstate at the Verona exit, and pulled into a gas station where deputies were waiting. Deputies took Hightower into custody without incident. Serratt was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and was pronounced dead. Hightower was arrested and charged with one count of murder and lodged at the Boone County Detention Center.

Are there witnesses who were traveling I-71/75 or at the Verona gas station that morning who can help clarify what happened?