A McCreary County man accused in the death of a Whitley City resident has been returned to Kentucky to face a manslaughter charge stemming from an April incident.
Authorities say 60‑year‑old Gene Cooper of Whitley City died after a physical altercation at a home on Patterson Drive in Strunk during the early morning hours of April 7. Kentucky State Police responded to a disturbance call shortly after 12:30 a.m., where they found Cooper unresponsive with injuries consistent with a violent confrontation. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A McCreary County grand jury later indicted 58‑year‑old Billy Proffitt Jr. on first‑degree manslaughter in connection with Cooper’s death. Investigators determined Proffitt had left Kentucky following the incident, and the U.S. Marshals Service assisted in locating him in McDowell County, North Carolina. He was arrested there on June 23 around 9 p.m. and has since been returned to Kentucky to be processed on the charge.
Officials say the case remains active as court proceedings move forward.