Flat Gap man charged in stabbing

By Lilly Adkins

BSN Associate Editor

FLAT GAP —A Flat Gap man was arrested after he stabbed a woman multiple times Thursday.

Arthur Franklin Ray, 59, is charged with first-degree assault.

According to the arrest report, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office received a call of an assault in progress at 4171 Ky. Rt. 1092 in Flat Gap. The officer was advised that a female had been stabbed and was bleeding.

When the officer arrived at the location, he found Ruthie Spears inside the home on the couch, and she was bleeding from multiple places on her chest and left arm, the report said, and there was blood covering her entire body.

Another female in the residence, Kimberly Butcher, assisted the officer with trying to stop the bleeding, the report said, and she also said she was there when the assault occurred.

Johnson County Sheriff Doug Saylor arrived on the scene minutes after the officer began looking for Ray, the report said.

Once EMS came and the patient was removed from the scene, the officer began his investigation, the report said, and as he was talking to Butcher, he heard a voice come from the distance. When he looked out, Ray came out of a grown-up bottom area and surrendered himself, the report said.

Ray was taken to the sheriff’s office where he was read the Miranda warning, a consent of search was signed and a verbal recorded interview was conducted.

Ray advised that this was the first time he had met Spears and that they had been drinking Evan Williams alcohol, the report said.

Ray said that they were listening to music with Butcher when Spears “snapped,” becoming verbal and violent, and started hitting him in the head, neck and arms.

Ray also said in the report that before she became violent, he told her to leave or shut up and stop but she didn’t and instead continued, so he had defended himself and walked outside, threw the pocket knife across the road and went to the bottom to wait, the report said.

Spears was transported to Paintsville ARH and then transferred to Pikeville Medical Center in critical condition, the report said.

Ray was taken into custody and transported to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center in Johnson County.