Remains found in 2019 identified as missing Lincoln County woman

Published 11:02 am Thursday, December 16, 2021

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STANFORD – Human skeletal remains that were found in a creek bed off of Goshen Road in Stanford two years ago have been identified.

Lincoln County Coroner Farris Marcum said the remains were identified as L’acee Butcher, of Stanford. Butcher was reported missing in November 2019, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

Butcher was 34 years old at the time she was reported missing and family members said they had not heard from or seen her since February 2019.

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The Sheriff’s Office said family members, who previously had “limited contact” with Butcher, reported her missing after several months of no contact at all.

Butcher’s last known residence was on Jessica Way in Stanford and her previous co-tenant had moved out of the house by the time her remains were found.

“There’s no manner of cause of death due to the nature of her remains,” Marcum said this week.

The remains that were found in 2019 were skeletal and spread out across a creek bed off of Goshen Road near the Stanford Waste Water Treatment Facility.

Marcum said the family has been notified.

Kentucky State Police Detective Frank Thornberry is overseeing the investigation.

Thornberry did not respond to requests for comment by press time Tuesday.

“Her death will be ruled undetermined,” Marcum said.

DNA analysis was used to identify the remains but that’s about all that can be determined by the remains, he said.

“There’s no tissue or blood or anything to test. There are no markings. There is no trauma. So her death will be ruled ‘cannot be determined,’” Marcum said.