BY KIMBERLY HEFLING
The Associated Press
Police said Thursday they are investigating whether anyone should be charged with aiding a fugitive who was wanted for questioning in the deaths of three men.
The search for the fugitive, Ronnie J. Sparks, ended Wednesday night when he was found shot dead. Autopsy results released late Thursday by the state medical examiner's office in Frankfort confirmed that his death was the result of a self-inflicted shotgun blast to the chest.
Police said Mr. Sparks, wanted in Richland County, Ohio, for a parole violation stemming from a burglary conviction in February, may have been hiding in caves in the rugged area for months, possibly with help from someone.
"We'll be following up and investigating leads if it shows that someone has been helping him and we can prove that's the case," said Kentucky State Police Lt. Rick Stiltner.
Police still have been unable to find the small-caliber weapon thought to have been used to kill Randy D. Stevens, 19, Douglas L. Middleton, 21, and Scotty Middleton, 27. The all-terrain vehicles (ATV) they had been riding were found nearby. Two ATV riders in a separate group found their bodies Sunday night near Tarkiln Cave, in a rugged area 85 miles east of Lexington.
Passerby calls 911
After the shootings, police said they wanted to question Mr. Sparks, who had been seen in the area.
Wednesday night, police responded to a 911 call from a passerby reporting that Mr. Sparks had been found dead in a field on a rural Carter County road.
Mr. Sparks' body was found on Frazier Road, near the scene of the triple homicide and close to where his family owns property. A shotgun was found 4 feet from Mr. Sparks' body, Carter County deputy coroner Ernie Holbrook said.
Della Layne, Scotty Middleton's aunt, said her family was relieved by the news of Mr. Sparks' death.
"I'm happy, but I'm sad because we don't know if there was someone else that was involved in this killing, and I wanted to see if he would confess -- it would make the families feel better," Ms. Layne said. "In our hearts, we're 99 percent sure it was him, but there's still a 1 percent chance it wasn't him."
Police released few details Thursday but said the investigations into the three shootings and into Mr. Sparks' death is continuing.
"The fact that he's deceased now really doesn't change the focus. There are unanswered questions and evidence to collect and people we want to talk to," said Sgt. Lon Fields of the Kentucky State Police. "We won't close anything until we get some answers."
The funerals for Douglas Middleton and Randy Stevens were held Thursday at West Carter County High School in Olive Hill. The funeral for Scotty Middleton will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Eldridge Funeral Home in Sandy Hook.
