Jerome Wadsworth, a 28-year-old Black man from Michigan, was found fatally shot in a ditch near the Eastridge Apartments in Lexington on September 3, 2017. He was taken to Saint Joseph East Hospital and died that morning. The discovery opened a homicide investigation that focused on an acquaintance, 18-year-old Timothy Ganther Jr.

According to court documents, Wadsworth had traveled from Detroit and met Ganther at a Cincinnati bus station, bringing a substantial quantity of heroin. After selling some of the drugs together, a confrontation occurred. Ganther said Wadsworth tried to take money and drugs, a struggle followed, and Ganther struck Wadsworth. As Wadsworth tried to get up, Ganther fired a single shot to the back of his head.

Ganther was arrested and charged with murder plus importing and trafficking over 100 grams of heroin into Kentucky. Court filings show he admitted to intentionally shooting Wadsworth and a jury later found him guilty of murder and the drug offenses. Does anyone have memories of Wadsworth in Detroit or Lexington, or information about his travels that week?