MENIFEE COUNTY, KY — Nearly three decades after a brutal springtime killing shocked eastern Kentucky, the murder of Jane Faye Elswick remains one of Menifee County’s unresolved homicide cases.
On the evening of March 29, 1995, two hikers made a grim discovery in a heavily wooded area near the Myers Fork / Denniston area of Menifee County. Beneath shallow soil and partially exposed earth, they found the body of a woman later identified as 34-year-old Jane Faye Elswick of Powell County.
Authorities quickly determined the cause of death: multiple stab wounds. From the beginning, investigators treated the case as a homicide.
A Disturbing Crime Scene
According to contemporaneous Kentucky State Police reporting, Elswick’s body had been:
Located in a remote, wooded area off rural Menifee County roads
Found partially buried and exposed
Removed from the scene by the county coroner following recovery
Sent to Lexington for autopsy through the Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office
Early reports noted uncertainty about whether Elswick was killed in Menifee County or whether her body had been transported there after death, a question that complicated the initial investigation.
The Timeline Leading to Her Death
Investigators established a short but critical timeline:
March 28, 1995 — Elswick was last confirmed alive in Powell County
She was reportedly seen near an undisclosed location earlier that day
Family accounts suggested she may have been planning travel toward the Red River Gorge area
March 29, 1995 — Her body was discovered in Menifee County by hikers
At the time, Elswick was described in reporting as a lifelong resident of the Powell and Wolfe County region and a mother of two young daughters.
Investigation by Kentucky State Police
The Kentucky State Police Post in Morehead took the lead on the investigation, with assistance from local agencies and the coroner’s office.
Key points from early investigative statements included:
The victim suffered multiple stab wounds
The body was identified using fingerprint records
An autopsy was conducted in Lexington, with final results pending at the time of early reports
Detectives publicly requested information from the community through the KSP Post 8 / Morehead area office
Despite initial activity in the case, no arrests were ever made.
A Case That Went Cold
As weeks turned into months, and years into decades, the investigation gradually faded from public view. No suspect has ever been publicly charged in connection with Elswick’s death.
The case is now classified among Kentucky’s long-standing unsolved homicides from the 1990s, a period that includes numerous cold cases across rural counties where evidence collection and forensic capabilities were more limited than today.
Remembering Jane Faye Elswick
Those who knew Elswick described her as a family-connected woman whose death left behind grieving relatives, including two young children at the time of her passing.
Her case has remained active in name only — preserved in cold case listings, law enforcement archives, and periodic public appeals for information.
Why the Case Still Matters
More than 30 years later, the murder of Jane Faye Elswick remains unresolved, a reminder of how quickly rural homicide cases can fade without witnesses coming forward or new forensic breakthroughs.
Cases like this continue to sit within Kentucky’s broader backlog of unsolved murders, many of which date back decades and remain open with Kentucky State Police cold case units.
📞 Public Appeal
Anyone with information related to the death of Jane Faye Elswick is encouraged to contact:
Kentucky State Police Post 8 (Morehead)
📞 606-784-4127
🕯️ Closing Note
Three decades later, one truth has not changed: a mother was taken violently, and no one has yet been held accountable. For her family, and for investigators still holding cold files open across Kentucky, the search for answers continues.
This Cold Case File is brought to you by Fresh Start Health
Fresh Start Health is a Kentucky provider that began with an outpatient clinic in Ashland in 2019. Fresh Start has since added three Rural Health Clinics within 45 miles: Grayson, Vanceburg, and the newest facility in Morehead, which held its ribbon cutting in March 2025. Across its locations, Fresh Start offers a full continuum of care under one roof: psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners and counselors for mental and behavioral health, an addiction medicine team for medication-assisted treatment and recovery support, and primary care for everyday medical needs, along with transportation services that help rural patients reach their appointments. Located at 150 Newtowne Square, the Morehead office extends Fresh Start's whole-person model of care to Rowan County and the surrounding communities.
