Additional Coverage:
- Mom-of-3’s body wrapped in tarp under trailer spotted by driver ‘before killer dumped her by road’ (themirror.com)
A Kentucky man faces murder charges nearly eight years after a woman’s body was discovered in Madison County. Ryan Crawley, 42, is accused of kidnapping and killing 39-year-old April Arnett, then concealing her body under his trailer before attempting to dispose of it roadside.
On the evening of August 17, 2019, Kentucky State Police responded to a report of a body found in northern Madison County. The victim was identified as Arnett following an autopsy, though the exact cause of death remains unclear.
Subsequent investigation revealed that Crawley allegedly killed Arnett on August 13 in Scott County. Court records indicate he wrapped her body and stored it beneath his trailer.
Authorities say four others, including Crawley’s cousin Ronald, were involved in the kidnapping. After wrapping Arnett’s body with a tarp and attaching cinder blocks, the group attempted to dump her remains off the Old Clay’s Ferry Bridge.
However, the body became snagged on a wire, drawing the attention of a passing driver. The men then reportedly tried to leave the body along Old Lexington Road.
In 2024, the Crawleys pleaded guilty to charges of evidence tampering and abuse of a corpse. Ronald Crawley was apprehended in Oregon in October 2019 after fleeing the state. Ryan Crawley was formally indicted on the murder charge and is scheduled to stand trial on May 17, 2027.
April Arnett, a mother of three, was remembered in her obituary for the love and care she shared with those around her. “That smile and special love will never fade from our memory, but will be missed by so many,” it stated.