Middlesboro man indicted on murder charge

MIDDLESBORO, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — A man already connected to a heartbreaking child abuse case in Middlesboro has now been indicted for murder.

According to Bell County officials, a grand jury has charged 44-year-old Harvey Gollahan with one count of murder and three counts of first-degree criminal abuse in the death of 17-month-old Elena Hembree. The child died in July 2023 after suffering what investigators described as blunt force trauma.

Gollahan was already in custody when he was served the indictment Thursday morning. Authorities say the investigation revealed the toddler had been abused in the days leading up to her hospitalization.