A Columbia man is charged with murder after his 33-year-old son was shot during a confrontation Tuesday afternoon in the backyard of the suspect’s mother’s home, state police said. The gunfire erupted around 3 p.m. on Jan. 13, and the victim later died at a local hospital.
Investigators identified the suspect as Phillip Bruce Hadley, 56, and the victim as Jordan Hadley, 33. The Kentucky State Police said the men were arguing outside a residence on KY 55 South when the shooting happened. The case moved quickly from investigation to court: deputies arrested Phillip Hadley later Tuesday, and a judge on Wednesday set bond at $1 million cash while ordering him back to court next week. Detectives say the preliminary findings point to a family dispute that escalated within minutes, drawing troopers, county deputies and EMS to the rural property south of downtown Columbia.
Troopers and Adair County deputies were dispatched at 3:02 p.m. Tuesday on a report of a shooting. Responders found Jordan Hadley with a gunshot wound in the backyard and rushed him to TJ Sampson Hospital, where the coroner pronounced him dead. According to an arrest citation summarizing a recorded interview, Phillip Hadley told investigators his son shoved him twice and said, “This is going to end today,” before approaching a third time. The father said he drew a .40-caliber handgun from his waistband and fired once, striking his son. He also told detectives he believed Jordan was reaching for a firearm, though he said he never saw one. Officers later said they did not recover a second gun on or near the victim. The suspect’s mother, at whose home the confrontation unfolded, witnessed the shooting, authorities said.
The Kentucky State Police described the argument as “heated” and part of an ongoing conflict between the two men. Detectives noted that what sparked Tuesday’s exchange remains under review. In statements included in court filings, the father alleged the confrontation resumed when Jordan arrived as he spoke with his mother in the yard. Witness accounts cited by investigators matched parts of the father’s description of pushing before the shot, but authorities have not publicly detailed every step of the altercation. Jordan Hadley’s body was released to the Adair County coroner following the hospital pronouncement. As of Wednesday afternoon, officials had not announced an autopsy finding or listed a final cause and manner of death beyond the immediate injury.
Columbia sits in Adair County, about 100 miles south of Louisville. The backyard home along KY 55 South is in a stretch of two-lane road dotted with farm driveways and single-story houses set back from the highway. The state police Post 15, based in the region, is leading the investigation with help from the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, Columbia Police Department, county EMS and the coroner’s office. Detective B.J. Burton is the case officer. State police emphasized that the facts are preliminary and that additional interviews and forensic steps are underway, including a full review of the scene and any digital evidence. Officials have not reported any prior protective orders between the men or recent police calls to the address.
Hadley was booked into the Adair County Detention Center on one count of murder. He appeared in court Wednesday for an initial arraignment, where a judge set his bond at $1 million cash. Court records indicate a follow-up hearing is scheduled for Jan. 21. Under Kentucky law, a murder charge can carry a potential sentence of 20 to 50 years or life if a jury convicts. Prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek an indictment on additional counts, and no self-defense claim has been formally entered in court. The public defender’s office had not been listed as counsel of record in available dockets by late Wednesday.
Neighbors who passed the address Wednesday described a quiet stretch suddenly crowded with cruisers and ambulances the day before. A few vehicles slowed as crime scene tape still ringed part of the yard. Family members did not respond to requests for comment at the scene. In interviews summarized by police, the elder Hadley said he and his son had been in conflict leading up to the shooting. “This is going to end today,” he quoted Jordan as saying before the final approach, according to the arrest citation. Authorities said the suspect’s mother saw the encounter unfold from the property and that her account will be part of the case file.
As of Wednesday evening, investigators said the inquiry remains active. Additional lab work and witness interviews are expected in the coming days, and charging documents could be amended as new information is verified. The next known milestone is a court hearing on Jan. 21 in Adair County, where a judge could consider future bond conditions and set the timeline for a preliminary examination or grand jury review.
Author note: Last updated January 14, 2026.