HARDIN COUNTY, Ky. — It's been a long five years for the family of Kathy and Samantha Netherland as they wait for answers in their loved ones' unsolved case.
"You think about the beauty of spring and the rebirth of nature, and just knowing that when they left this earth it really shattered the peace of spring," Stacy Hibbard, Kathy’s sister, said.
Seasons continue to change, but the pain stays the same.
"There's nothing we wouldn't do, there's nothing we wouldn't give to know and to have answers," Hibbard said, "There's nothing that Kathy or Samantha did in life that would ever explain the violence that was brought to their home."
It was April 2014. Kathy, a special needs teacher, was home with her daughter Samantha, a sophomore in high school. Police found the two tied up inside their house, savagely murdered.
"The misery that the killer or killers caused is profound," Hibbard said.
Kathy was shot several times, Samantha badly beaten with both throats slashed.
"We need someone to come forward. Someone knows something, as the family stated, and we need to talk to that person," Scotty Sharp of Kentucky State Police said.
One person in particular has been of interest to police since the investigation started. The driver of a black Impala, captured on surveillance video, was thought to have left the Netherland residence around the time of the crime. Police are still looking for the driver five years later.
"Five years is a long time for our family to wait for answers," Stephanie Thompson, Kathy’s sister, said.
Without their family and without answers, the Netherland’s loved ones said they still try to find the good in the smallest progress, remaining hopeful that the right person will come forward and help them find answers in the case.
Police say they have several detectives dedicated to this case and they do continue to get new tips. Our UNSOLVED team follows stories like this one from around the state. You can keep up with the team on Facebook.