Jury finds Eastern Kentucky man guilty in the 2024 murder of missing woman
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jury convicts Fairley Napier of killing a woman in 2024 and related charges.
- Jury recommends 45-year prison term; sentencing set for May 8.
- Burned vehicle matched Campbell's vehicle description; equipment had apparent remains.
An Eastern Kentucky man was convicted this week in the 2024 murder of a woman found in a burned car after being missing for several days.
Fairley Napier, 49, of Breathitt County, faced charges of murder - domestic violence, tampering with physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and first-degree criminal mischief for the death of Joanie Campbell, 45, a Hazard native and the mother of his children.
Court records indicate Napier’s trial began March 23, and Tuesday, the jury found him guilty on all charges, according to WYMT.
The jury recommended Napier serve 45 years in prison for the conviction, the television station reported. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 8.
Napier was arrested in January 2024 just days after officials found a burned vehicle with human remains inside on Spicewood Drive in Breathitt County. Napier’s arrest document says the burned vehicle matched the description of one driven by Campbell.
The Breathitt County man was the last known person to have contact with Campbell.
The property where the vehicle was found was being logged by Napier, according to the citation. A skidder and dozer owned by Napier were found near the burned vehicle, and the skidder appeared to have human remains or body tissue on it.
Napier was originally charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence, but the abuse of a corpse and criminal mischief charges were added when he was indicted March 5, 2024. Napier requested mediation in his case nearly two months before the trial, but mediation attempts were unsuccessful, according to court records.
