A welfare check in the early morning hours of July 19, 2020, led Kentucky State Police to the home of 52-year-old Peggy Vanwinkle on Highway 2004 in McKee, Kentucky, where she was found dead and pronounced so by the Jackson County Coroner. Investigators described the incident as stemming from a domestic dispute in which her husband, 59-year-old Farris Vanwinkle, allegedly retrieved a firearm and shot her.

Authorities later allege more violent acts after the shooting, including dismemberment and burning of parts of her body. Farris Vanwinkle was arrested and charged with murder, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with physical evidence; prosecutors later added possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and being a persistent felony offender. A court-ordered competency hearing for him was held in 2023 as the case moved through the legal system.

Peggy was known locally as an in-home caregiver for the elderly and a member of The Old Path Holiness Church. She is survived by two daughters and two granddaughters. If anyone knew Peggy, her family, or has information about what happened that night, please share what you know with investigators.