Longtime teacher and coach killed in murder-suicide weeks after filing for divorce

BARDSTOWN, Ky. (WDRB+WAVE/Gray News) — A husband and wife died in a murder-suicide Tuesday morning in Kentucky.

According to the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office, officers responded to a home following a reported shooting.

Police found a man and a woman dead from gunshot wounds.

The Nelson County Coroner’s Office identified the couple as 54-year-old Brian Harman and 52-year-old Keyata Harman.

A neighbor said Keyata Harman taught at Bardstown Middle School and served as head volleyball coach at Nelson County High School.

“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of one of our own,” the school posted on social media Tuesday night. “Keyata was a true servant leader whose passion for the sport and dedication to her athletes extended far beyond the court.”

According to court documents, Keyata Harman filed for divorce on Oct. 15, and the couple has been separated since Sept. 1, 2025.

A neighbor said she heard multiple gunshots that night. But she brushed it off as someone deer hunting before seeing police and two coroner vans on the Harman’s lawn.

“We never had any issues with them at all,” neighbor Nancy Ulrich said. “They were the perfect neighbors. They would help you. It’s just a great loss. They are going to be missed.”

Ulrich said Keyata Harman was outgoing and friendly, and Brian Harman was a little more reserved but nice.

Court documents stated the couple had four kids together.