On March 23, 2018, three people were killed in the 292 community of Martin County, Kentucky, near the Pike–Martin County line. Micah Sammons was 20 years old. He and 26-year-old Derek Lee James were found dead at the scene from gunshot wounds. A third victim, 31-year-old Amber Lockard, was critically wounded and taken to a nearby hospital, where she later died.

Investigators recovered Lockard’s missing vehicle in West Virginia the day after her death, and attention turned to a primary suspect who was already jailed in West Virginia on unrelated charges. In May 2018 a Martin County grand jury indicted Lance J. Ward, then 28 and of Williamson, West Virginia, on three counts of murder and two counts of first-degree robbery. Ward originally pleaded not guilty; the victim’s father said he believed Ward did not act alone and mentioned receiving letters from Ward claiming Micah was like a brother.

Court filings showed prosecutors had sought the death penalty. In early 2020 Ward changed his plea to guilty on the three murder counts and the two robbery charges were dismissed.

Did anyone in the 292 community know Micah, Derek, or Amber and have information about that night?