Published: November 09, 2007 08:54 am      

London man charged with murdering family

PIKEVILLE (AP) — An eastern Kentucky man was being held Thursday on charges of murdering a family of five and setting fire to their home nearly four years ago.

A grand jury indicted Clayton Jackson, 25, of London on Wednesday. Police arrested him in the afternoon and charged him with five counts of murder, said Kentucky State Police Detective Johnny Griffith.

Jackson, who was jailed in Laurel County, also faces charges of arson and theft.

Griffith declined to release any further details on the case, including whether Jackson had a relationship with the family, saying the investigation is ongoing.

Chris Sturgill, 25, a coal-truck driver; his wife, Amanda, 21; and sons Michael, 5, Robert, 3, and Jordan, 2, were murdered at their home in the tiny community of Roark in on Feb. 6, 2004.

Their bodies were found only after firefighters extinguished the fire that destroyed their mobile home. State medical examiners identified the adults through dental records and the children through X-ray analysis.

In the days that followed, investigators searched for clues in the charred, two-bedroom single-wide home that sat next to Christ the Rock Community Church in Roark. Firefighters were called to the home in the early morning.

Reporters at the scene saw detectives carry evidence, including what appeared to be a charred rifle, out of the home. The county coroner suspected that at least one of the victims was killed before the fire.

State police chased down numerous leads over the years, though they’ve remained tightlipped about their findings. Authorities finally had enough evidence to present to the grand jury when the panel met in August.