An upcoming EPO hearing resulted in two women, one from Hardinsburg and one from Elizabethtown, being shot and killed in a domestic violence shooting outside the Hardin County Justice Center.
Erica Riley was pronounced deceased at the scene. Janet Riley was transported from the scene to a local where she was pronounced deceased. The male victim is in stable condition at an unknown hospital.
Elder and Erica Riley were at the courthouse for a hearing in Family Court regarding an emergency protective order (EPO) Erica Riley filed against Elder claiming he was abusive during their 18-month relationship, according to a report by WAVE.com. The event that spurred the filing of the EPO occurred on July 30 when an allegedly intoxicated Elder physically attacked Erica Riley as she tried to stop him from screaming at her young daughter.
Elder is accused of physically attacking Erica Riley by striking her twice in the jaw.
The suspect has previously been accused by others of domestic violence in 2006, 2007 and 2008, according to court records.
Local law enforcement agencies were notified of the shooting at 8:17 a.m., as a Be on the Lookout (BOLO) was issued for Elder and his vehicle. He was spotted traveling west on the Western Kentucky Parkway soon after the shooting.
This spurred a manhunt that passed through Grayson County and involved multiple agencies, including the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, Leitchfield Police Department, Constable Mark Stanton, and Kentucky State Police.
Grayson County Schools had “additional safety precautions in place” for approximately 30 minutes as police looked for Elder in Grayson County, particularly in the Caneyville area.
Initially, police believed Elder, who fled the scene in a silver Hyundai Elantra (with scraggly lines on the sides of the vehicle), could be traveling to northern Breckinridge County. But as investigators continued to track his location, it became clear he was not going to Breckinridge County.
The Muhlenberg County Sheriff’s Office made contact with Elder, who had ditched the Elantra and began driving a red Toyota Camry with black wheels, near Greenville and a pursuit began at approximately 9:45 a.m.
Elder fled south on Hwy 189 toward Hopkinsville at low speeds for about 20 miles, as the chase entered Christian County. The suspect then turned onto Judges Chapel Road, a dead-end road about a half mile long approximately 10 miles north of Hopkinsville. He then pulled into a parking lot.
A standoff where police attempted to negotiate with Elder for approximately an hour followed before Elder turned the gun on himself at 11:15 a.m. He was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he’s in critical condition, according to Kentucky State Police.
Elder’s current condition is not known.
(Photo l-r: Christopher M. Elder, Erica Riley)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k015.com
