On March 23, 2018, 26-year-old Dereck Lee James was one of three people killed in a shooting in Warfield, Kentucky. Two others named in the case were 20-year-old Micah Sammons and 31-year-old Amber Lockard; Lockard later died of her injuries a few days after the shooting. Amber Lockard’s vehicle was found abandoned in West Virginia during the investigation, which expanded beyond Kentucky.

Kentucky State Police led the inquiry and, in May 2018, authorities arrested 28-year-old Lance J. Ward. A grand jury indicted Ward on three counts of murder and two counts of first-degree robbery. Ward initially pleaded not guilty but in January 2020 changed his plea to guilty on the three murder counts; the robbery counts were dismissed as part of the plea. Prosecutors had previously indicated they intended to seek the death penalty.

If anyone knew Dereck James, Micah Sammons or Amber Lockard, or has information about the events around March 23, 2018, please come forward with tips.