Unraveling The Death Of Trooper Johnny Edrington

Blue lights cut through the dark on KY-80, a state trooper lies 18 feet from his cruiser, and the questions haven’t stopped for 35 years. We revisit the life and final shift of Kentucky State Trooper Johnny Edrington, retracing the timeline from Post 11 to a fateful U-turn after a speeding pickup and the moments that vanished in between. With eyewitness accounts, a stolen light-colored Ford truck, and scene details that don’t add up, we unpack a case that sits between homicide, suicide, and something that looks a lot like a cover-up.

We start with who Johnny was—a hometown helper turned trooper, newly married and expecting—then follow the late-night radar run, the trucker’s statement, and the discovery of a right-handed officer found with his .357 in his left hand. We interrogate rumors that refuse to die: lapsed insurance, disconnected phones, and a staggering tax debt. Using Kentucky law, pay stub logic, and an earlier disciplinary case, we show why those claims wobble under pressure. Along the way, we examine the role of the Phelps brothers, the weight of small-town grudges during bootlegging and marijuana crackdowns, and how gossip can bury truth.

The serial killer thread adds heat: Robert Foley lived about two miles from the scene and offered shifting stories that investigators largely dismissed. Is he a misdirect or a missing key? We break down the forensics, including world-renowned pathologist Dr. Vincent DiMaio’s homicide conclusion, and consider what modern testing—touch DNA on the revolver and vehicle surfaces—could still reveal. Most of all, we push for sunlight: redacted files released, evidence reexamined, and rumors replaced by facts. Press play to walk the road, weigh the theories, and help us move this cold case toward clarity.

If this story matters to you, share the episode, leave a review, and tell us your theory—homicide, suicide, or something else entirely?

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Chapters

• 0:00 Intro, Trigger Warning, And Police Week
• 1:32 Johnny Edrington’s Life And Service
• 5:50 Marriage, Community Roots, And New Beginnings
• 9:20 The Final Shift And Disappearance Timeline
• 15:45 Discovery Of The Body And Scene Details
• 22:19 Conflicting Theories: Homicide Or Suicide
• 28:49 Rumors, Insurance, And Tax Claims Examined
• 35:19 The Phelps Brothers’ Role And Rebuttals
• 41:14 The Serial Killer Angle: Robert Foley
• 47:09 Forensics, DeMaio’s Opinion, And Evidence Gaps
• 53:24 Motives, Community Fear, And Case Roadblocks
• 57:39 Calls For Transparency And Next Steps