On August 21st, 1973 in the Quicksand community of Breathitt County Kentucky Murlan Stacy was shot and killed and then thrown off a bridge to be found later by a coal miner and then and only then was it reported to officials. I was only 4 years old when this took place so all the facts that I have come from stories that have been told to me by family members and the articles that I have found by doing research at the Lee's College Library here in Jackson. Based on what I have researched the family and the newspapers seem to be in agreement. So, I am going to try to write the most accurate story possible, not to hurt anyone but just so the younger generations of this family will have history about their Uncle Murlan.

I have been told that Murlan was the type of man who was always on the go, meaning that he was not in one place for too long at a time. In was on his way back to my Grandparent's home when he came upon a group of men who had killed an elderly man. I don't know how he made it to their house without that group killing him right then, but as it would happen Murlan did make it to his parents house. A couple of days later that same group of men went to the house and stood out on the road and tried to get Murlan to come across the bridge claiming that they only wanted to "talk" to him.............Well needless to say that Grandpa was not about to let Murlan cross that bridge alone, so he got ready and went out to the road with him and in doing so Grandpa managed to save Murlan's life at least for a little while longer. Grandpa knew if he let him go alone they would have killed him right there in front of the house. As fate would have it {from what I was told} Murlan decided to leave with one of the men and according to my research one of the group of men came to the house and picked him up to go out running around and on the way the rest of the group was out on the side of the raod acting like they were having car trouble and when Murlan and the other one stopped to help them it was then that they shot him 7 times killing him and then throwing his body off the bridge. The one thing that I have not been able to figure out after all these years is Why did Murlan go with that guy? He had to know what they were going to do to him when they got the chance. Murlan was 29 years old when they found his body.

That funeral will be forever etched in my mind. As I said I was only 4 years old at the time, but I clearly remember a "box" in the living room of my Grandparent's house and I couldn't understand why Murlan was asleep in that "box" and I didn't understand why my Mom was standing there crying so hard. But of course as I got older I came to understand that the "box" was actually a casket and Mom was crying because her brother had died but it was so very confusing to a 4 year old child who had never been to a funeral before that.

At the time of his death Murlan had a 7 year old son named Kevin........It wasn't until many years later that I was able to get in contact with Kevin, Of course he had many questions about all that had happened...Kevin has a daughter now Taylor Paige and the saddest part of this whole story is that she will never have the chance to know and love her Grandpa Murlan. From what I can remember of Murlan he would have spoiled her rotten because I can remember how much he liked being around children.

November 19,2006 would have been Murlan's 63rd birthday and I sometimes wonder what he would have been like these days if I would have had the chance to meet him.

"Happy Birthday In Heaven"

Rest in peace