A frantic call to Adair County 911 at 9:40 a.m. Monday led to the discovery of three murders and developed into a police standoff with gunfire exchange and eventually a dead suspect.
Ryan Sneed, 38, of Columbia, apparently murdered his mother, Joyce Sneed, on Lakeview Drive, and his aunt, Debra Clark, on Henson Road before heading to 1790 Chestnut Grove Rd. to Michael Adam Curry’s residence, a visit that turned deadly for Curry.
Law enforcement investigating the thread of murders have not yet determined the timeline of that morning, but there are details that have emerged that suggest that Sneed may have killed both his mother and aunt late Sunday night or early Monday morning prior to going to the Curry residence.
According to trail cam footage, Sneed drove his mother’s vehicle to Curry’s residence around 1:30 a.m., but Curry did not answer the door. It’s possible that Sneed slept in his car until 9 a.m., when Curry this time answered the door. During the interaction, Sneed returned to his vehicle, retrieved a firearm and shot Curry while he was standing on the front porch.
A family member of Curry saw the shooting on camera and called 911. He reported that Sneed used an AR type rifle to shoot Curry before dragging Curry inside the home.
Another family member arrived at the scene just prior to the arrival of law enforcement. She spoke to Sneed from the yard, and he ordered her to leave. Sheriff Deputy Emily Wall was the first officer on the scene, and as she moved in close to the house to aid the civilian, Sneed immediately opened fire on her.
“As Deputy Wall had pulled up, she started taking fire from inside the residence. Her car was getting riddled with bullets,” said Sheriff Gary Roy. “She was able to get there, get out, return fire and get a civilian that was in the yard over to cover and safety.”
Multiple units swarmed the area and had been made aware that Wall was pinned down behind her vehicle under fire. Soon, Deputies Josh Brockman and Josh Durbin made their way to Wall, using police cars as shields. The three deputies and the civilian were behind Wall’s vehicle, with the officers often returning fire.
An armored Suburban arrived on the scene, and Sneed fired numerous shots at it as Kentucky State Police evacuated the deputies and civilian, who by then had been pinned down for over two hours. Wall’s vehicle continued to take hits while being used for cover.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene including Adair County Sheriff’s Department, Columbia City Police, and Kentucky State Police. Gunfire was exchanged numerous times while Sneed was barricaded in the residence. Kentucky State Police Special Response Team was requested along with armored vehicles.
Drones from at least three separate agencies were used to assess the situation. A view from one drone confirmed that there was blood on the front porch before the drone was shot down by Sneed.
Law enforcement spoke with Sneed by phone. During those conversations, they had reason to believe Sneed had harmed other family members. Troopers went to his mother’s home, where they found her dead from an apparent knife wound.
On Henson Road, approximately a mile from his mother’s residence, his aunt was also found dead from an apparent knife wound. The Adair County Coroner’s office responded to both residences.
No other family members were injured.
Sneed continued to randomly fire shots at the police with various weapons. He fired from upstairs windows on both sides of the residence and from windows on the main floor.
When Kentucky State Police Special Response Team arrived, they attempted to talk Sneed into surrendering. At one point, he indicated there were bombs in the house, which turned out not to be true but led officers to add extra levels of caution as they worked to end the standoff.
Tear gas was deployed into the residence several times. An armored skid steer was used to tear off walls on both sides of the residence.
At approximately 6 p.m., Sneed attempted to exit the house from the upstairs window armed with an AR style rifle with a drum magazine. KSP Special Response Team fired, fatally wounding him. He was pronounced dead by the coroner’s office.
No law enforcement was injured during the standoff. At least 50 law enforcement officers were on the scene on Chestnut Grove Road. Emergency management, emergency medical, fire departments and other teams brought needed equipment and resources or were on standby as needed.
According to court records, Sneed had an extensive criminal history dating back to age 18.
He was most recently arrested on February 23 on Lakeview Drive for brandishing a machete and making threats. During that incident, he fled from deputies on foot. He was charged with terroristic threatening, fleeing and evading, possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and possession of marijuana.
Joyce Sneed, his mother, had filed for domestic violence orders against him four times since 2018. The most recent was issued on March 18, 2026, which prohibited Sneed from any contact with her. Sneed was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms.
This incident has shaken Adair County residents. .
Adair County is a small tight knit community where this type of violence is rare. On this day, there was no question that further violence was prevented for several reasons. While Sneed’s intentions will never be known, it’s possible that he planned to continue his deadly mission using an arsenal of weapons in Curry’s residence.
“The one thing that saved us was that camera. We were able to get there quick and keep him contained to that area,” said Sheriff Roy. “He couldn’t get out the back door because it was barricaded with some stuff that the homeowner had piled up.”
“We were able to get there quick enough to surround the area, keep a perimeter, and a couple of units went to the back,” he said. “So, we had him pinned in there.”
Roy commended everyone involved and the willingness of multiple agencies to work together. He also commended Wall for her courage under fire.
“Wall did exactly what she was trained to do. She did an awesome job under fire, under pressure. She showed the courage of a lion getting a civilian out of harm’s way,” said Roy.
“Adair County stood in the face of danger with multiple agencies working together to assist,” Sheriff Roy said. “Law enforcement, fire, EMS, dispatch and emergency management worked cooperatively to eliminate the threat and protect lives of other citizens.”
