Suspicious Crash in Harlan County Leads to Arrest in Ongoing Homicide Investigation

HARLAN COUNTY, Ky. – A single-vehicle crash and fire in the Lynch community of Harlan County has sparked a multi-state investigation after authorities deemed the incident “suspicious.”

According to Kentucky State Police Trooper Jacobs, the crash occurred around 1:45 p.m. Sunday along KY-160 on Big Black Mountain. When troopers arrived on scene, they discovered a vehicle that had gone off the roadway and down the mountainside. Inside the car, they found the body of 44-year-old Sandra Moore of Virginia, who was pronounced dead at the scene by the Harlan County Coroner.

As detectives began investigating, they uncovered a disturbing chain of events that began earlier that day in Virginia. Police say Moore had been involved in a violent altercation with her nephew, 29-year-old David Stoneburner, at their shared residence.

Following the incident, authorities allege Stoneburner transported Moore’s body across state lines into Kentucky, placed her in the driver’s seat of her own vehicle, set the car on fire, and allowed it to roll off the embankment in an apparent effort to stage a crash.

Stoneburner has since been arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse and first-degree arson. Trooper Jacobs noted that additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.

Law enforcement agencies in both Kentucky and Virginia are collaborating on the case to determine the full circumstances surrounding Moore’s death.