Kathy Netherland

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Kentucky State Police (KY)

Offense Location:

Bardstown, KY

Reward:

up to $50,000

Not from STC, Conditions and restrictions apply

Related Cases:

Samantha Netherland

Summary:

In 2014, Kathy Netherland, 48, and her 16-year-old daughter Samantha were found brutally murdered inside their home just outside Bardstown, KY city limits. After Kathy didn't show up to work, police executed a wellness check and found the school teacher and her teenager dead in their home. They had both been tortured and killed.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

Kathy Netherland was a well-liked special education teacher, and Samantha, a member of the Bardstown High School Academic Team and chorus, was just a 10th grader. The two were found by Kathy's father Norris Hardin, after he was notified that Kathy had not shown up for work. When Norris arrived at their home, he peered through the window and saw Kathy on the floor of the dining room. He ran around back and saw Samantha. Police were called, and first responders immediately rushed to the scene. Both Kathy and Samantha were brutally beaten, and their throats were slit. Autopsies confirmed that Kathy died from several gunshot wounds, while Samantha had been bludgeoned and stabbed to death.

Additional Details:

About a week after the murders, state police released an image of the car they believed the suspect was driving. It was a black Chevy Impala captured by the surveillance video at a gas station about a half mile from the Netherlands' home. There is a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. The number for state police is 270-766-5078.

Case Last Updated:

May 16, 2026