Sarah Jane King, 26, was shot once in the chest and died in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 23, 2021, in the Ages community of Harlan County, Kentucky. A Baxter resident and Harlan County High School graduate, she worked as a long-haul truck driver and attended Kildav Community Church. She was taken to Harlan Appalachian Regional Hospital and pronounced dead by the Harlan County Coroner’s office.

The Kentucky State Police opened an investigation and on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, arrested 28-year-old Matthew D. Clutts of Evarts, Kentucky. Clutts was charged with King’s murder and booked into the Harlan County Detention Center; investigators say he fired the fatal shot. The Harlan County Rescue Squad and Kentucky State Police conducted a search that evening related to the case.

Anyone who knew Sarah, her routines, or who has information about what happened in Ages on May 23, 2021, is asked to come forward.