SCOTT COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — April Arnett's body was found in Madison County in August 2019, four days after she was allegedly killed in Scott County.
Ryan "Todd" Crawley, who previously pleaded guilty to evidence tampering and abuse of a corpse, has now been indicted on murder charges by a Scott County grand jury in connection with the Arnett's death, a 39-year-old mother of three.
Arnett's body was found off the side of Lexington Road, a road that runs parallel to I-75. According to the indictment, Crawley committed the offense of murder on Aug. 13, 2019 in Scott County, four days before her body was discovered.
Crawley was also indicted on a second charge of tampering with physical evidence. The indictment states he destroyed, mutilated, concealed, removed or altered evidence by wrapping Arnett's body and storing it under his trailer, which he believed was about to be produced or used in an official proceeding.
Until now, it wasn't publicly known where Arnett was killed.
Crawley is one of six people who have been previously charged in connection with Arnett's deadly kidnapping.
Court citations from 2019 say Crawley and his cousin, Ronald "Doug" Crawley, drove into Madison County over the Old Clays Ferry Bridge with Arnett's body wrapped in a tarp with cinder blocks attached. When the men attempted to throw her body into the water, it became stuck on a guy wire. The citations say the men then put Arnett's body back into the vehicle and dumped her where she was ultimately found.
Like Ryan Crawley, Ronald Crawley also pleaded guilty to evidence tampering and abuse of a corpse in Madison County in 2024.
In April 2025, police arrested three more people in connection with the case: Jenny Keller, Bridget Lyons, and James Watson.
In 2025, Keller, 53, was charged with facilitation to kidnapping in connection with homicide and is accused of helping arrange the kidnapping. The Crawleys, along with Lyons and Watson, are all charged in connection with the deadly kidnapping of Arnett and evidence tampering.
LEX 18 spoke with Arnett's sister last June about those charged in the case. The family did not wish comment on the murder indictment this afternoon, but Cara Parsons previously expressed her hopes for those involved.
"I hope that they get the maximum sentence for each sentence and each charge. Is what I hope," Parsons said.
Ryan Crawley is scheduled to be arraigned on the murder and tampering charges in Scott County Circuit Court on March 2.
