Updated: Kentucky man charged with murder after days-long search for missing woman
A Breathitt County man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection to the disappearance of a woman missing since Thursday, according to court records.
County officials and Kentucky State Police previously confirmed that Fairley Napier, 47, was arrested at approximately 5 a.m. Sunday, but they wouldn’t say whether it was in connection to the disappearance of Joanie Campbell, a woman who was the subject of a search since Thursday.
State Trooper Matthew Gayheart told the Herald-Leader Monday that KSP couldn’t “positively connect” Napier’s arrest to the disappearance of Joanie Campbell. However, an arrest citation provided to the Herald-Leader by the Kentucky River Regional Jail Monday confirmed the link.
Napier’s arrest citation says he was the last known person to have contact with Joanie Campbell, a woman who has been the subject of a search since Thursday. Napier and Campbell have children in common and Napier threatened to kill Campbell previously, according to the citation.
Sometime after Thursday, 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 a vehicle driven by Campbell.
The human remains were sent to the Medical Examiners office in Frankfort for an autopsy and positive identification, according to KSP.
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. The skidder appeared to have human remains or body tissue on it.
KSP said they named Napier a person of interest after the remains were found inside the vehicle.
Investigators spoke to Napier’s daughter, and she said her dad admitted to burning Campbell, according to the citation. He was being held at the Kentucky River Regional Jail Monday.
Napier, from Clayhole, has been charged with murder and tampering with physical evidence, according to court documents.
Breathitt Sheriff John Hollan confirmed Sunday’s arrest in a news release.
“He was brought in for questioning related to a missing person,” Hollan said. “Within a few hours he was arrested” by Kentucky State Police, he said
Campbell’s husband, Arthur Smith Jr., said in a social media post that he had offered a $5,000 reward for information about her disappearance. He referred further questions to Kentucky State Police Sunday. KSP declined to comment.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
This story was originally published January 7, 2024 at 8:30 PM.