A West Virginia jury found Timothy Kennedy guilty of first-degree murder after a brutal attack on Sgt. Cory Maynard.
A West Virginia jury has delivered a guilty verdict in one of the state’s most heartbreaking cases — a trooper who chose to answer one last call before going home, and never came back.
Timothy Kennedy, 32, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of West Virginia State Police Sgt. Cory Maynard, 37. The Mingo County verdict was announced Monday by the West Virginia Troopers Association.
“I told him to go home. It was time for him to go home… I love you.” — Trooper Jonathan Ziegler, testifying about his last words to Sgt. Maynard
What Happened
On June 2, 2023, Maynard responded to a shooting call on Beech Creek Drive in rural Mingo County — even though his shift was over. His fellow trooper, Jonathan Ziegler, begged him not to come.
Kennedy ambushed Maynard at the scene, shooting him three times. He then stood over the wounded sergeant and struck him with the gun. Maynard, a husband and father of two, was later pronounced dead.
In Court
Kennedy’s defense argued he was high on meth and hallucinating during the attack — and that he had no memory of it. He apologized in court, saying he wished he had never touched drugs.
“I’m not a monster,” Kennedy told the court. “I wish people knew the person I really am.”
The jury was unconvinced. Along with murder, Kennedy was also convicted of two counts of attempted first-degree murder, disarming a law enforcement officer, and first-degree robbery.
Sentencing is set for July 7.
Why it matters: Sgt. Maynard didn’t have to respond that night. He chose to — and paid with his life. His conviction brings a measure of justice to his family and the law enforcement community mourning his loss.
