Who is Austin Prather? Kentucky man accused of shooting dad and grandfather dead arrested in Indiana

May 2024 · 3 minute read

PULASKI COUNTY, KENTUCKY: The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office stated that 20-year-old Austin Prather, who is accused of killing two family members and injuring another, was taken into custody in Indiana.

Prather was the lone suspect in connection to the deaths of his two family members in Science Hill, as well as the shooting of a third family member on Tuesday, November 7.

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The PCSO announced that two individuals who passed away in the incident were Ardyth "Ray" Prather Jr, 67, and his son Ardyth "Trae" Prather III, 43.

They were the grandfather and father of the suspect, respectively.

Joann Prather, 65, Ray Prather's wife as well as the suspect's grandmother, got injured in the incident.

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What did Austin Prather do?

The Pulaski County Sheriff's Office reported that on Tuesday, November 7, at around 11:47 pm, officers went to a report of a shooting victim on Raleigh Road in Science Hill, Kentucky.

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Upon their arrival, they discovered Ardyth "Ray" Prather, Jr dead from what seemed to be gunshot wounds. Despite having been shot and stabbed, 65-year-old Joann Prather survived.

After receiving emergency care at the scene, Joann was airlifted to a hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. As of Wednesday night, deputies were uncertain about her condition.

Police claim to have discovered blood on the door of a nearby house on Raleigh Road. They entered the house thinking there might be more victims, and when they did, they discovered a man inside who would subsequently be identified as Ardyth "Trae" Prather III.

Austin Prather, the victims' grandson and son, was named as the suspect by the sheriff's office. They claim that he fled the scene in a 2013 brown Jeep Wrangler before cops arrived at the scene of the crime.

What has Austin Prather been charged with?

The Pulaski County Sheriff's Office said Austin Prather has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

The Major Crimes Task Force, consisting of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, the Somerset Police Department, and the Kentucky State Police, responded to the scene on Tuesday.

Earlier, Sheriff Bobby Jones of Pulaski County advised people not to approach Prather as he was considered armed and dangerous. The PCSO upon Austin’s arrest released a statement where they claimed that the double murder suspect had been taken into custody in Indiana.

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

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