The Brian Epperson case centers on a 44-year-old Winchester, Kentucky man accused of distributing methamphetamine that killed two women, with investigators linking him to a third woman’s death as well. Epperson faces federal drug-distribution charges carrying a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life without parole, along with a state murder indictment in Powell County. He has pleaded not guilty to everything and is being held at the Clark County Detention Center. His federal jury trial is scheduled for August 3, 2026, in Lexington before U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier.1WKYT. One Year After Reacheal Dawson’s Death, Brian Epperson Awaits Federal Trial
Three Women Found Dead in Rooms He Booked
Between November 2024 and June 2025, three women were found dead in hotel rooms or short-term rentals rented under Epperson’s name. Each had extraordinarily high levels of methamphetamine in her blood. Investigators recovered matching drug capsules at more than one scene.
Hilory Davis
Hilory Davis, 42, was found dead on November 7, 2024, in a Super 8 motel room in Lexington that Epperson had booked. Her death was initially classified as an apparent overdose, and no one was charged at the time. Later toxicology showed roughly 72,000 nanograms of methamphetamine per milliliter of blood, a level a Kentucky State Police detective described as 360 times a typical overdose amount.2LEX18. Family of 3rd Woman Connected to Murder Suspect Speaks Out
Davis had struggled with addiction for more than 20 years but had been sober for nearly three years before her death, according to family. A close friend, Heather Shelton, said methamphetamine was “never her drug of choice” and that Davis had been dating Epperson after meeting him on a dating app in August 2024.3WDRB. Kentucky Woman Says She Survived Encounter With Man Some Are Calling a Serial Killer As of mid-2026, Epperson has not been formally charged in Davis’s death, though investigators have confirmed his connection and the family has been told the investigation is reopened.2LEX18. Family of 3rd Woman Connected to Murder Suspect Speaks Out
Kristen Morris
Kristen Morris, 32, was found dead on May 31, 2025, inside an Airbnb on Patsy Road in Stanton, Kentucky, that Epperson had rented. Epperson was present when she died. Coroners recovered tablets containing an unknown substance at the scene.4Lexington Herald-Leader. Man Indicted on Federal Charges in Overdose Deaths Toxicology showed more than 57,000 nanograms of methamphetamine per milliliter of blood, and methamphetamine was the only substance in her system. Court documents cited the medical examiner’s office as noting that a typical fatal overdose involves roughly 200 nanograms per milliliter.5FOX 56. Man Tied to Stanton Airbnb Death Faces Additional Charge, Indictment
Reacheal Dawson
Reacheal Dawson, 29, left her home in Estill County on June 26, 2025, and was found unresponsive the next day at the Red Roof Inn in Winchester, in a room rented by Epperson. Her blood contained 14,000 nanograms of methamphetamine per milliliter.1WKYT. One Year After Reacheal Dawson’s Death, Brian Epperson Awaits Federal Trial Winchester police said Epperson and Dawson had been romantically involved after meeting on a dating app, though Dawson’s family said they did not recognize him and were unsure whether the two knew each other. WDRB reported that Dawson had also been sexually assaulted.6WDRB. Families Call Man a Serial Killer After He’s Linked to 3 Kentucky Overdose Deaths
The Capsules and What Was on His Phone
When police responded to Dawson’s death at the Red Roof Inn, they found capsules containing methamphetamine inside Epperson’s truck. Investigators noted the same style of capsules had been recovered from the Powell County Airbnb where Kristen Morris died.5FOX 56. Man Tied to Stanton Airbnb Death Faces Additional Charge, Indictment
A search warrant on Epperson’s phone turned up an Amazon transaction showing he had purchased blank capsules online. Epperson admitted to police that he bought the blank capsules and filled them with methamphetamine.7LEX18. KSP: Winchester Man Charged With Murder After Woman Found Dead in Airbnb The phone also contained Google searches related to overdose deaths.5FOX 56. Man Tied to Stanton Airbnb Death Faces Additional Charge, Indictment Family members who attended a court hearing said the search history included queries such as “How long does it take for the jaw to lock” and “why doesn’t it bother me to watch someone die.”6WDRB. Families Call Man a Serial Killer After He’s Linked to 3 Kentucky Overdose Deaths
The Charges Against Him
Epperson was first arrested on methamphetamine possession charges in Clark County after the capsules were found in his truck during the Dawson investigation in late June 2025. On July 9, 2025, Kentucky State Police charged him with one count of murder in Kristen Morris’s death.8Kentucky State Police. KSP Arrest Citation – Brian Epperson In August 2025, a Powell County grand jury indicted him on murder, first-degree possession of methamphetamine, and tampering with physical evidence.9WKYT. Man Indicted in Connection With Death at KY Airbnb
On October 16, 2025, a federal grand jury in Lexington indicted Epperson on two counts of knowingly and intentionally distributing methamphetamine resulting in death, under 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). The two counts relate to the deaths of Kristen Morris and Reacheal Dawson.10Winchester Sun. Epperson Indicted on Multiple Counts Resulting in Death Under that statute, when distribution results in death the penalty is 20 years to life, the court cannot grant probation or suspend the sentence, and the defendant is not eligible for parole.11Cornell Law Institute. 21 U.S.C. § 841 – Prohibited Acts
Epperson was arraigned in federal court on November 24, 2025, and pleaded not guilty. He is held on a $1 million federal bond in addition to a separate $1 million state circuit court bond.12FOX 56. Kentucky Man Federally Indicted in Connection With Stanton, Winchester Overdose Deaths
Epperson also had a prior felony record. Kentucky Department of Corrections records show he was convicted in Pulaski County in 2014 on four felony counts from 2008 conduct — third-degree burglary, theft by unlawful taking, complicity to second-degree burglary, and complicity to theft by unlawful taking — with sentences ranging from five to ten years. He was on parole at the time of the 2025 arrests.13Kentucky Department of Corrections. Offender Lookup – Brian J. Epperson
Where the Case Stands
The federal trial was originally set for February 2, 2026. Judge Wier granted a 90-day continuance in January 2026 after the defense requested more time to review discovery and pursue forensic testing, with the court noting that preliminary plea negotiations had begun.14WKYT. Federal Judge Grants 90-Day Delay in Brian Epperson’s Trial A second continuance in April 2026 pushed the trial to August 3, 2026, after the defense cited voluminous supplemental discovery and a proposed plea agreement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.15FOX 56. Federal Trial Delayed for Man Tied to Kentucky Overdose Deaths
Epperson has not been charged in Hilory Davis’s death, and although Dawson’s death is part of the federal indictment, he has not been charged with murder in her case. Investigators have said there may be additional victims and are continuing to seek information.1WKYT. One Year After Reacheal Dawson’s Death, Brian Epperson Awaits Federal Trial
A Survivor’s Account and Family Advocacy
Heather Shelton, a close friend of Hilory Davis, has said publicly that she believes she survived an encounter with Epperson. According to Shelton, months after Davis’s death she met Epperson at a hotel to retrieve a key to Davis’s storage unit, he gave her a bottle of water, and she blacked out, waking the next day in a hotel room. She said she did not report it to police or go to a hospital at the time.3WDRB. Kentucky Woman Says She Survived Encounter With Man Some Are Calling a Serial Killer
The families of the three women have called Epperson a serial killer and pushed for additional charges and a life sentence. Kaylieb Thompson, Reacheal Dawson’s fiancé, mounted a large sign with Epperson’s name and face on his truck and parked it on a highway overpass above I-75, and he has used social media to press the case.16WKYT. Kentucky Man Takes Justice Campaign to I-75 Overpass as Trial Delays Continue Thompson was later charged with three counts of third-degree terroristic threatening for statements aimed at Epperson and at Winchester police, and he pleaded guilty to those charges.17WKYT. Man Whose Fiancée Died in Federal Drug Case Charged With Threatening Police, Suspect