West Kentucky University freshman Melissa ‘Katie’ Autry was beaten, raped, and left to die in an attempt to burn her. Here we will update details about the murder and where her killer is in 2021.
Katie Autry was a freshman at Western Kentucky University who was brutally murdered, raped, and set on fire inside her dorm room on May 3, 2003.
Two students were arrested as prime suspects in the case. Autry was attending a party at Phi Kappa Alpha frat house but got raped and physically assault at her dorm. Later, the suspects lit a fire leaving her to die inside her dorm room.
Who Is Katie Autry? Meet Her Parents And Family.
Katie Autry was a freshman at Western Kentucky University. In 2003, the eighteen-year-old freshman was brutally raped, beaten, and set on fire in her dorm room.
On May 4, firefighters responded to a fire at the Pellville freshman dorm room in Hugh Poland Hall. The fire originated from Autry’s room and the firefighters managed to pull her body from the blazing fire.
Autry suffered third and fourth-degree burns and was immediately rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Despite putting up a fight for almost three days, she passed away on May 7.
There is no information available about Autry’s parents or family. We hope to update more information as soon as possible.
Katie Autry Murder Update: Where Is Her Killer Today?
There were two suspects in the murder of Katie Autry, Stephen Soules, and Lucas Goodrum.
Soules was arrested after Goodrum but changed his statement multiple times before confessing the two were in Katies’s room on that day.
In March 2004, Soules pleaded guilty to seven of nine charges including, murder, rape, complicity to rape, sodomy, complicity to sodomy, arson, and robbery.
Ep62: The Rape & Murder of Katie Autry is available everywhere now #bowlinggreenky #kentucky #wku #westernkentuckyuniversity #rapeculture #rape #arson #murder #dorm #southernfriedtruecrime pic.twitter.com/H2vomSXj0z
— Erica Kelley (@southfriedtruth) August 2, 2019
His plea deal saved him from death sentence but was sentenced to six concurrent life imprisonments and an additional 20 years, without the possibility of parole. He is serving his time at the Green River Correctional Complex in Central City, Kentucky.
Soules testified against Goodrum and implicated him in the rape and murder of Katie. Goodrum’s parents testified that he was at home on that day and the defense argued Soules’ testimony could be based on lies. Due to lack of proper evidence, Goldrum was acquitted of all the murder, rape, sodomy, and arson charges against him.
Goodrum appeared in an episode of ID’s ‘On the Case with Paula Zahn’ and is currently living in Aubrey, Texas. We don’t have details on his current whereabouts.