Background: The Stearns, Ky., neighborhood where Damian Poole”s body was found on Sept. 11 (Google Maps). Insets (left to right): Damian Poole and Daniel Kearney (McCreary County Sheriff’s Office).
A Kentucky man methodically planned his cover-up after murdering his partner and two dogs, police say — right down to a written checklist of cleanup tasks.
Damian Poole, 36, was reported missing by his family in Colorado on Sept. 9 after he failed to arrive for a visit. On Friday night, the Kentucky State Police and the McCreary County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the Stearns, Kentucky, home Poole shared with his partner, 39-year-old Daniel Kearney, and found Poole’s body. Poole had sustained “multiple gunshot wounds,” and two dogs were also found dead on the property, police said.
According to an arrest citation obtained by local Fox affiliate WDKY, police found a checklist allegedly compiled by Kearney, outlining what to do after he killing Poole.
The list reminded him to clean up the home, dispose of evidence, use an odor sealant called “Kilz,” and get rid of Poole’s body, police said. The list also mentioned using fire to destroy remaining evidence and scattering the ashes across roads in different states, WDKY reported.
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The arrest citation stated that Poole’s body was found in a “back room” of the house, bound at the ankles with nylon rope. Police believe Kearney killed him days earlier. Police also found two dogs that had been shot, bullet casings, an AR-style rifle, other firearms, and a blood-covered piece of cardboard near the front door.
Kearney lived in a camper outside the home. Neighbors who spoke to police said that the couple fought often and gunshots could be heard during their arguments. Kearney’s neighbors allegedly told police that the suspect was “aggressive” and “violent,” even describing him as a “powder keg.” According to the arrest citation, Kearney told his neighbors that Poole had left for Colorado and was not planning to return.
Kearney was arrested and charged with murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and animal cruelty. He is currently being held at the Knox County Detention Center on $1 million bond. His arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 18.
