In the early morning hours of February 15, 2020, Matthew Smith, 39, was shot multiple times inside a residence off Shope Lane in Harlan County, Kentucky. The shooter, identified as 59-year-old Richard G. Cody, is said to have used a key to enter the home and allegedly opened fire. A call about the shooting reached the Kentucky State Police at 8:50 a.m., and Smith was taken to Harlan ARH hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Cody did not remain at the scene and fled south into Washington County, Tennessee, where Tennessee authorities located and arrested him. He was charged with murder and two counts of wanton endangerment in the first degree, and steps were begun to extradite him back to Harlan County. The Kentucky State Police, Post 10 in Harlan, handled the investigation.

Are there witnesses or local residents who can add details about what happened that morning or about the people involved?