Naman Shrestha
In 2004, a beloved couple — Gary and Cheryl Young — was found dead in an abandoned mine about a month after they went missing from their rural Kentucky home, leaving everyone related to them in shock. The documentary titled ‘Murder at Carter County Mines’ chronicles the mysterious case of the couple and the investigation that followed. As the authorities followed the trail of evidence, some shocking and unexpected truths were brought to light.
How Did Gary and Cheryl Young Die?
Born and brought up in Kentucky, Gary Lynn Young was brought into the world on September 9, 1957, by the late Richard and Marie Bentley Young. He grew up with three siblings — one sister and two brothers — namely Sheila, Michael A. Young, and David Ray Young. Apart from attending the Catlettsburg Church of God, Gary also became a member of the Willard Lodge #626 in Willard, Kentucky, as well as of the American Quarter Horse Society. Moreover, he made a living as a boilermaker out of Elizabethtown in Kentucky.
As for Cheryl Keeton Young, she also took birth in Kentucky on August 9, 1959, to the late William Matthew and Edna Short Keeton. She probably grew up in a house full of people as she had six sisters and one brother, namely Rosa Lee, Janet Keen, Brenda, Marilyn, Vivian, Linda, and Merrill. Much like Gary, she too attended the Catlettsburg Church of God and was a member of the American Quarter Horse Society, which is where the two seemingly got connected and got closer with time. Professionally, she had the job of an assignment specialist with Alltel Communications.
Upon getting to know each other, Gary and Cheryl tied the knot while the former had a young son named Andrew Young. The three of them possibly shared a complicated and difficult relationship, which supposedly turned bitter as time went by. On January 16, 2004, the couple disappeared along with their car, after which their family and friends informed the authorities about it. Soon, their missing car was recovered and then on the early Saturday morning of February 7, 2004, the police found Gary and Cheryl, who had died of multiple gunshot wounds, in an abandoned mine known as the Mushroom Mines, in Lawton, in western Carter County.
Who Killed Gary and Cheryl Young?
After the Kentucky authorities received the missing persons’ case of Gary and Cheryl, they began looking for Andrew Young for questioning. He was then found at an apartment complex in Meade County, Kentucky. The authorities then received a call from him who came out clear and told them the whereabouts of the dead bodies. The 22-year-old Andrew helped the police end the nearly month-long search for his parents by letting his attorney know that he wanted to come clean about his misdeeds. After collecting the pieces of evidence that they could find at the crime scene, the investigators also likely interviewed the victims’ other family members, friends, and acquaintances to get a clearer perspective on things and their relationships with other people.
Upon further investigation, more revelations about the case came to light as the police believed that the beloved couple were forcibly taken from their home. According to records, on or around January 14, 2004, Andrew’s girlfriend Stephanie Griffith also helped her boyfriend to enter or stay inside Gary and Cheryl’s residence in order to commit the crime that they had planned. She also reportedly had a further hand in the crime, which made it easier for Andrew to pull the trigger and kill his parents. So, the authorities arrested Andrew Young on the charge of kidnappings and two murders, that is, of his father and his stepmother. On the other hand, Griffith, 21 at the time, was also charged with kidnapping and arrested. Both of them were taken to the Carter County jail.
Andrew Young is in Prison While Stephanie Griffith Was Released
Andrew Young appeared in Carter County District Court on February 9, 2004, and agreed to plead guilty to the murder charges in exchange for not getting the death penalty for his actions. His attorney also asked for a psychiatric evaluation for him and said that if his client does not honor the agreement reached between the two attorneys, Young could withdraw his guilty plea and participate in a jury trial. On July 2004, he was charged with a life sentence with no possibility of parole and is currently imprisoned at Kentucky State Reformatory 3001 KY-146 in La Grange.
In January 2006, Stephanie Griffith pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary and two counts of criminal facilitation to commit murder. Under the terms of her plea agreement, she was reportedly sentenced to 10 years on the facilitation charges and 10 years for complicity. She reportedly had her first hearing in December 2007 where she was denied parole and decided that she wouldn’t be eligible before December 2015. Her eligibility was further postponed until 2016. It seems that she has been released from prison but has kept her private life under wraps.
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