LAKE WALES, Fla. (LEX 18) — Kenneth Strange, 54, has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Florida, according to Nicholasville Police, several days after he allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend, Lydia Cassady.
The Nicholasville Police Department confirmed Sunday night that Strange was located at a fuel station in Lake Wales, FL. When officers approached Strange, police said he pulled out a firearm and took his own life.
Officers with Lake Wales Police said they also found a woman who was previously reported to have been with Strange. Nicholasville Police said Wednesday that they were "concerned for the safety of Shoemaker." As of Sunday night, police said she was unharmed and is speaking with law enforcement.
Strange was reported to be on the runWednesday, hours after Lydia Cassady, 39, was found dead in a Nicholasville home on Lauren Drive.
Friends of Cassady said she and Strange had been together for almost 20 years. Cassady is survived by her two children, sister, and nephews.
Kasey Wolfe, Cassady's friend, spoke with LEX 18 Sunday and said Cassady was preparing to leave Strange. Wolfe said while she had never known Strange to be physically abusive, she said he was very controlling and emotionally abusive.
Wolfe recalled her friend as a selfless and caring woman, who prioritized her two children before anything else.
"Her life revolved around her kids and her family and trying to help just make this world a better place," Wolfe said.
According to her obituary, Cassady was a CCMA for the Lexington Clinic. She was described as loving animals, cooking, baking, art, and being outdoors. Cassady had previously worked with the Kentucky Equine Adoption Center.
"She just had a way of finding the bright side of anything," Wolfe said. "She had a way of making the darkest times bright."
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