BEDFORD — A Bedford man is facing a criminal charge after Lawrence County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a double homicide at a rural home on Tuesday, only to find the claim was a hallucination caused by a drug relapse.
Matthew D. Couch, 37, of Bedford, was arrested on September 29, 2026, by the Lawrence County Police Department outside a residence in the 1000 block of Mount Pleasant Road. He faces a preliminary charge of criminal trespass.
Hallucination Call Triggers Emergency Sweep
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Lawrence County Officer Thomas Porter, dispatchers received a call requesting a welfare check at the Mount Pleasant Road property. The caller stated that his mother and sister had been murdered inside the residence.
Officer Porter and Sergeant Whitney Daugherty responded to the scene and knocked on the door multiple times without receiving a response. Fearing for the safety of the occupants due to the severe nature of the call, deputies conducted a perimeter search, located an unsecured door, announced their presence, and entered the residence to conduct a search.
While inside, looking through a window toward the parking area, Sgt. Daugherty observed a man walking up to the front door. Officers exited the home and identified the individual as Couch.
Deputies were aware that Couch had been formally served with a legal trespass warning barring him from the property the previous evening, with signed documentation on file. Couch was immediately placed into handcuffs and secured in a patrol vehicle.
A thorough sweep of the property confirmed that no one had been harmed. Officer Porter subsequently contacted Couch’s father, who verified the whereabouts and safety of Couch’s mother and sister.
During questioning, Couch admitted that he had recently been released from a rehabilitation facility and had suffered a relapse, smoking methamphetamine the previous night. He acknowledged that the reported homicides were hallucinations resulting from his drug use.
Greg Couch informed officers that his son had been officially trespassed from the residence following an incident the night prior, adding that he feared Matthew might cause harm to him and his wife if he remained at the property.
Couch was taken into custody on-site and transported to the Lawrence County Security Center for booking. Body camera footage and the signed trespass agreement were submitted as evidence with the case file.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
