The Frankfort Commonwealth.

MURDER LAST FRIDAY!

Last Friday morning, (the 25th), Mr. David Cooper was murdered by ambushers.  The ambushers made their escape, and remain at large.  There is a $25.00 reward for information leading to their arrest and conviction, put up by his widow.  The ambushers are believed to be one Andrew J. Downard and Mr. Joseph Mackenzie.

Kentucky vs. Downard and Mackenzie

The behind the scenes development of a case.

Based upon the pre-trial event held March 23-25, 2007

Report of the Sheriff: Mr. Frank Sawyer

to the Prosecutor: Mr. Thomas Hobart, Esq.

The following is my report of the crime scene.

The murder occurred early morning on Friday the 25th of March, and I arrived at the site approximately 3 o’clock in the afternoon.  The site is a small dog trot cabin in poor repair that formerly served as a stage coach stop before the new road was built, but has been abandoned for the last 10 years.

The cabin is located about a mile from the nearest residence in a narrow valley with a stream running in front of it.  Surrounding area is a mixture of light woods and fields.  One side of the dog trot appeared to be furnished as a residence and looked lived in, and the other side was empty.  When I arrived the body was lying on a blanket on the empty side.  People present were Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Finnigan.

According to the coroner who examined the body after we moved it into town, death was caused by a gunshot wound to the head, which entered the left side of the forehead and exited the center back of the head.  There was a trail of blood between the body and the creek bank 3 rods long.  And a large amount of blood in the grass at the top of the creek bank which is consistent with the witnesses’ story that he was shot at the top of the creek bank and his body was moved into the cabin.

The deceased was wearing grey cotton jeans trowsers, white cotton drawers, yellow cotton checked shirt, leather belt with Bowie knife, brown wool frock coat, black leather shoes. A brown slouch hat that the witnesses said belonged to him was found near the creek.

His pockets contained:  $10 in US and CS notes, an empty pewter flask that smelled of whiskey, a roll of twine, a handkerchief, a used stagecoach ticket stub from Frankfort to Brown’s Tavern which is a stage stop about a mile from where the body was found, and two lady’s hair pins.

The other side of the cabin was furnished as a living quarters with a table and chairs, some personal items strewn about and some evidence of cooking and sleeping there.  This is consistant with the story from the witnesses that Mr. Andrew Jackson Downard and Mr. Joseph Mackenzie had been living there repairing it, and claimed to be fixing it up to be an inn.  Downard and Mackenzie were not present and the witnesses said that they left shortly after the shooting. 

After reporting the murder and giving her statement, Mrs. Cooper left my office and has not been heard of since.  I have been unable to find any other witnesses to the shooting, but Mr. Downard and Mr. Mackenzie had been living in the vicinity for quite some time and were apparently known in the area.

You can get more detailed statements by contacting the lone witness at her residence

in Peak's Mill, Ky.

Mrs. Cooper's statement can be found on the following page. 

Statement of the Widow Cooper.