Joseph Smith was a licensed welder, a hunter, and a fisherman who lost his mother before he was old enough to remember her. In the years before his death, the 25-year-old White man from Cecilia, Kentucky, struggled with addiction and homelessness. His family remembers him as a loving and funny person who made some bad choices, but they believe his life should not have ended the way it did.
On the evening of Friday, March 5, 2021, a series of events culminated in a fatal confrontation in a grocery store parking lot. Earlier that day, Ryan Woodrum, also 25, of Upton, discovered his wife's vehicle had been stolen from their home in Hart County. Woodrum later found the car at the Crossroads IGA in the small community of Upton, which sits on the border of Hardin and LaRue counties. Inside the vehicle was Joseph Smith.
Around 9 p.m., Woodrum confronted Smith in the parking lot. The confrontation escalated into a physical altercation.
At some point during the fight, Woodrum drew a handgun and fired, striking Smith. Multiple calls were made to the Kentucky State Police reporting the shooting. When authorities arrived, Joseph Smith was pronounced dead at the scene by the Hardin County Coroner’s Office. His body was then transported to the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office in Louisville for an autopsy.
The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Post 4 began an investigation into the deadly shooting, assisted by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, Hart County Sheriff’s Office, and Hardin County EMS. The lead investigator was Detective Tony Hardin. Police announced that upon the conclusion of their investigation, the case would be presented to a Hardin County Grand Jury for review.
Ryan Woodrum admitted to police that he shot Smith but claimed it was in self-defense. Ultimately, no arrest was made, and no charges were filed in the case. A grand jury declined to indict Woodrum, and no judge or jury ever publicly weighed his self-defense claim. For law enforcement, the case was considered closed.
Joseph Smith's family, however, does not consider the case resolved. They felt that from the night he died, authorities dismissed his death with the explanation that "he made bad choices." His cousin, Keeshia Hendrix, has become a vocal advocate for his case. After years of unanswered calls to the KSP, she obtained the case file and has since been fighting for what she believes is justice for Joseph. She has written to the Kentucky governor's office, the state attorney general, the FBI, and the U.S. Department of Justice. Hendrix has also placed yard signs throughout Hardin County to keep his memory alive, refusing to be silent about his death. As of July 2026, the case remains officially closed with no charges filed, but his family continues to question the investigation and advocate for the case to be reopened.
