WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Convicted murderer Timothy Kennedy will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Kennedy, 32, of Matewan, was sentenced Tuesday morning in Mingo County Circuit Court for the June 2023 ambush-style shooting and killing of State Police Sgt. Cory Maynard.
Troopers responded to the Beech Creek area of the county on June 2, 2023, after Kennedy shot another man, Benjamin Baldwin, earlier that day. Maynard was killed by multiple gunshot wounds in a homicide, the state Medical Examiner testified during the May trial.
Kennedy’s defense claimed in May he was hallucinating on meth when he shot Maynard.
This was the second trial for Kennedy, whose first one was declared a mistrial by Judge Joshua Butcher in December 2025.
A jury found Kennedy guilty in May on five criminal counts — one count of first-degree murder, one count of armed robbery, one count of disarming a police officer, and two counts of attempted murder.
Kennedy was sentenced to life without mercy for the murder charge, which means he won’t have a chance for parole.
He also received a 50-year sentence for the robbery, indeterminate 3-15 year sentences for the attempted murder charges, and an indeterminate 1-5 year sentence for disarming a police officer. All of those sentences will be served consecutively.
The sentencing hearing took nearly two hours.
At the start of the hearing, Judge Butcher heard several motions from the defense including requests for a new trial, acquittal, and a continuance of the hearing. In his motion for a new trial, defense attorney Steve Mancini reiterated his argument that the trial should have been moved to another location and raised perceived issues with the jury.
All of the defense’s motions were denied.
Before Butcher read Kennedy’s sentence, five members of the Maynard family took the stand to deliver Victim Impact Statements.
There were few dry eyes in the courtroom as the family delivered passionate remarks about a lost father, husband, son, cousin, and nephew.
Sgt. Maynard’s wife, Rachel, said her and Cory’s two children are growing up without a father because of Kennedy. She pleaded for Kennedy to take accountability for his actions.
“Our daughter had panic attacks and nightmares (because of this),” Rachel Maynard said. “It’s beyond cruel what you have caused the two precious, beautiful, innocent children.”
Rachel Maynard expressed grief that Sgt. Maynard will not get to be there for his family. She said his son wants to attend the state police academy and become a state police trooper — just like his father.
Sgt. Maynard’s youngest sister, Sara, remembered her final meeting with her brother three years ago. Sara said Maynard picked her up from the Charleston airport and drove her “back home” to their mother’s home in Turkey Creek. After they arrived in Turkey Creek, Sara said her brother asked to go out to dinner at Starter’s, a sports bar in Williamson. She remembered that she was tired at the time, pregnant with a child.
“I have relived that moment of telling him “no” more times than I count count,” Sara Maynard said. “If I could go back, I would stay up all night and day, just to have more time with my big brother.”
Sara said Sgt. Maynard was supposed to come meet the baby in July. He was never given that chance.
Kennedy did not react much to the statements and kept his eyes downward for the majority of the time. Sgt. Maynard’s mother, Leslie, admonished Kennedy and implored him to make eye contact with the family who his actions had impacted.
“Man up and look at me,” Leslie Maynard said. “Don’t be a coward and look down. I deserve that.”
Sgt. Maynard’s body cam footage was part of Kennedy’s trials, showing what happened that day. Leslie Maynard said that her son had a chance to shoot Kennedy but didn’t.
“Instead of saying ‘no, Timothy,’ he could have pulled that trigger,” Leslie Maynard said. “And then it would have been your funeral, not his. But that wasn’t my Cory.”
Kennedy was given an opportunity to address the court but declined.
Judge Butcher delivered the sentence at 12:16 p.m. He called Kennedy’s actions “grave and heinous acts.”
“No sentence can restore this loss,” Butcher said. “No restitution amount can make the injury whole.”
Several members of the Maynard family spoke with media after the sentence was announced.
Sgt. Maynard’s uncle, David, said his nephew had a heart of gold.
“He used to go around town and he would hand out 50-cent pieces to people,” David Maynard remembered. “To brighten up their day, he would go into First National Bank, get a roll of 50-cent pieces, hand ’em out, and say ‘hey, this is just to brighten your day.’ He was active here, tried to make it better.”
Middle child, Patricia Bennett, said it was a long road to justice.
“I just want to thank everyone, the state of West Virginia, for all their hard work,” Bennett said. “Our attorneys, everyone did amazing, and it’s been a long three years.”
Story by Jack Carlson and Daniel Woods.