DEA agents discover torture chamber, human bone, drugs in Kentucky home
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- DEA agents discovered a torture chamber and human bone during August search.
- Authorities seized 6,000 oxycodone pills and 1,000 grams of methamphetamine.
- Shelton faces federal drug charges and 25 state wildlife-related violations.
Federal law enforcement recently discovered a torture chamber, a human bone and a large amount of drugs while searching a home in Laurel County, according to federal court documents.
Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration were executing a drug-related search warrant Aug. 12 at a home on Southern Oakes Road owned by Scottie Shelton, 53, when they smelled a strong odor they described as similar to a decaying corpse, according to court documents.
Shelton permitted officers to search the home, and they found a “cell-like room” that appeared to be a torture chamber, according to court documents. Among the items in the room were handcuffs, a rope and several guns.
Court documents say local authorities were informed about the room about five years ago. An informant told the DEA agents they received photos from Shelton of a woman restrained inside the room around 2020, and the informant passed along the information to local authorities.
Officers searched a dirt pile at the home after obtaining permission from Shelton, and they found a human bone. Court records do not say what kind of bone they found.
Shelton told officers he had previously brought Native American remains to his property and buried them near where the bone was found.
Officers found several deer skulls, turkey beards, a bobcat skull, a hawk head and feet and a freshly harvested buck at the home, according to court records.
Shelton also told officers he regularly buried drugs on his property. In all, officers found about 6,000 pills of suspected oxycodone and more than 1,000 grams of methamphetamine, according to court records.
Shelton is charged in federal court with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, according to court records. His next scheduled court appearance is a preliminary and detention hearing on Aug. 25.
He is also charged in state court with 24 counts of illegal taking or pursuing deer or wild turkey and one count of illegal taking of wildlife. He is scheduled to be arraigned for his state court charges Sept. 19.
A spokesperson for the DEA declined to comment on the case, citing an active investigation. The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office and Shelton’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shelton had no prior criminal history at the state or federal level in Kentucky, according to court records. He was charged with assault inflicting serious injuries in North Carolina in 1999, but the charge was dismissed by the district attorney one month later.
This story was originally published August 20, 2025 at 10:03 AM.
