Body Discovered in Whitley City
Foul play not suspected
At approximately 8:00 p.m. on September 18, 2022, McCreary County Sheriff Randy Waters responded to Pig Skin Road after being asked to survey a specific area near the Word of God Church because of a strange smell. Upon arriving at the scene, Sheriff Waters parked in the lower parking lot of the church and walked about fifteen feet into the woods where he found a deceased human body. Sheriff Waters contacted the McCreary County Coroner’s office and also notified Kentucky State Police (KSP).
“Kentucky State Police was contacted in the event foul play was involved,” Sheriff Waters explained. “KSP has more resources available when investigating cases involving foul play.”
McCreary County Coroner Tim Corder with Deputy Coroners Zachary Chaney and Cameron Gilreath responded to the scene after receiving a call from Sheriff Waters. The coroners found what appeared to be a deceased male just inside the wood line. The body could not be identified and was removed from the scene and sent to the Kentucky State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy and identification. According to Coroner Corder, the Kentucky State Medical Examiner’s Office completed the preliminary autopsy results, using tattoos to identify the deceased as 32 year-old Justin Musgrove of McCreary County. Musgrove had been missing since September 11, 2022, and a missing person’s report had been filed just hours before the body was discovered on September 18.
According to KSP Detective Matt Parmley, the case is still under investigation pending final results of the autopsy. However, Detective Parmley indicated there are no suspicions of foul play at the present time.
