Jeffrey D. McGaha was formally charged with the murder of Michael Earl Cowan a week ago Tuesday as an indictment charging him with the offense was returned by an Adair County Grand Jury in Adair Circuit Court.

The indictment charges that on June 7 of this year, the 43-year-old McGaha “committed the offense of murder when, with the intent to cause the death of Michael Earl Cowan, he caused the death of Michael Earl Cowan by striking Cowan with an automobile and shooting Cowan.

The murder apparently resulted from an ongoing dispute between McGaha and the 61-year-old Cowan, who were neighbors in the Guffey Estates subdivision on KY 80 East. McGaha lived in a mobile home on Russell Road. Cowan owned a lawn mower repair shop beside McGaha’s residence and lived in a house on the street behind McGaha’s residence.

The murder occurred at approximately 5:50 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7 at 5941 Russell Springs Road, across the road from McGaha’s residence and Cowan’s repair shop.

When law enforcement officials arrived on the scene, they found Cowan laying on the ground near the ATV, dead from a gunshot wound to the head. According to Kentucky State Police, upon further investigation, they discovered that Cowan had also been run over by a vehicle prior to the shooting.

Jeff McGaha abandoned his vehicle after the shooting, and began walking toward town. He was apprehended without incident a short distance from the homicide scene.

MaGaha was charged with murder and lodged in Adair County Regional Jail under a $500,000 cash bond, where he remains. He was due to be arraigned on the charges this Wednesday, July 27.