Former KY police captain killed mother, then self, shutting down I-75 for hours
A former police captain died by suicide after killing his mother in Berea just after midnight Dec. 14.
Kevin Berry, 51, died Sunday on Interstate 75 in Whitley County just before a Williamsburg officer approached his crashed car.
The officer was leading a manhunt down I-75 for Berry after he killed his mother, Margie Berry, 77, on Leslie Drive in Madison County.
Berry was spotted and pursued through Whitley County and Williamsburg heading toward Jellico, according to TV station WBNO. He then wrecked his car.
Williamsburg assistant Chief of Police Brandon White said he spotted Berry’s car as it started to pull into the interstate’s shoulder heading north. White told TV station WKYT the car continued into a grassy area before rolling into a brick wall.
Officers attempted to persuade Berry to exit the vehicle, but when they later approached after assessing the scene, they found he was dead in the car.
The Madison County Coroner connected the murder to the suicide around 1:30 p.m. just after investigators issued an attempt to locate order and pursued Berry, according to TV station LEX18.
The manhunt caused I-75 to close in both directions for several hours Sunday around the 12.5-mile marker.
According to LEX18, US 25, Highway 26 as well as Exits 15 and 11 on I-75 were backed up as motorists navigated around the closure. All lanes of I-75 have since reopened, according to the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department.
Berry is a former captain with the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, according to LEX18.
This story was originally published December 14, 2025 at 5:35 PM.
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