DNA Evidence Cracks Year-Old Hit-and-Run Case in Middlesboro

Middlesboro, Ky. — Forensic science has helped Middlesboro Police solve a hit-and-run case nearly a year after the crash, leading to charges against a Gray, Kentucky man.

Charles Partin now faces multiple criminal charges after DNA evidence linked him to a June 2024 collision at the intersection of Ashbury Avenue and North 19th Street. The crash involved former Bell County Attorney Neil Ward. When police arrived at the scene, the driver of the vehicle had already fled.

“We talked to the vehicle’s owner, the person it was lent to, and several people who were there, but no one could point us toward a suspect,” said Officer Morgan Justice of the Middlesboro Police Department.

The vehicle involved was later found abandoned and totaled just blocks from the crash site. Investigators discovered blood inside the vehicle, which Officer Justice collected and submitted to the Kentucky State Police forensic lab for DNA testing.

Despite a heavy backlog at the lab, analysts were able to match the DNA sample to an existing profile on file—identifying Charles Partin as the suspect. At the time the results came back, Partin was already in custody on unrelated charges.

“DNA was the only factor in this arrest. We had no leads. The evidence inside that vehicle was the breakthrough,” Justice said.

Dr. Jamie Fredericks, director of the forensic science program at Eastern Kentucky University, said blood DNA is highly reliable in criminal investigations, even long after it’s collected.

“DNA is very stable,” Fredericks explained. “Even a year later, you can extract a profile and link it to an individual. It’s a unique code that doesn’t change.”

Partin is now charged with leaving the scene of an accident, failure to render aid, and receiving stolen property valued over $10,000. Officer Justice said the victim, Neil Ward, may also pursue a civil lawsuit related to the crash.

The case marks a significant success for the Middlesboro Police Department and underscores the growing role of forensic science in solving cold cases.