Kentucky teen girls who shared 'deep bond' went together to break up with a boyfriend...now their funerals will be held 'side by side'

Published: 13:22, 10 June 2026 | Updated: 13:23, 10 June 2026 A pair of young friends in Kentucky who stuck together to the very end will be buried 'side by side' after an attempt to break up with one of their boyfriends ended in a police chase and three gunshots.  Jedance Hale, 18, and Lila Asher, 19, were both found dead inside a car belonging to James Priddy, 21 following a police pursuit in Laurel County that ended at around 10.45pm Saturday. Priddy was also found dead in the car.  Priddy shot Hale and Asher and then himself after kidnapping the pair and forcing them in his red Chevrolet Cobalt, according to the Laurel County Sheriff's Office.  Police were alerted to the kidnapping by concerned parents after the trio left a residence in Barbourville to 'go get something to eat.'  Earlier that day, Asher had accompanied Hale for moral support to go break up with Priddy, according to WKYT. Hale's mother frantically called 911 when she learned her daughter was in danger.  'She tells me that they got proof that this female has been trying to leave him all day. Trying to get her,' according to audio obtained by the news outlet. 'This male has took off with her.' When police caught up with Priddy, he 'failed to stop' and a pursuit ensued.  James Priddy, 21, is believed to have killed Jedance Hale, 18 (pictured) after she and a friend attempted to break up with him Lila Asher, 19, accompanied Hale for support to break up with Priddy the day of her kidnapping and murder Jedance and Lila shared a 'deep bond' and will be buried 'side by side,' according to their families  When police caught up with Priddy, he 'failed to stop' and a pursuit ensued.  Priddy led the chase for approximately 30 minutes on Highway 312 before police attempted to box Priddy in, forcing him to strike another vehicle and come to a stop.  Deputies on scene who went to check on the driver and passengers found Priddy, Hale and Asher all dead from gunshot wounds to the head.  'All indications are that apparently James Priddy shot and killed Hale and Asher, then killed himself,' the sheriff's office said.  Hale and Asher were described by family as two vibrant young women who shared a deep friendship. 'Lila and Jedance shared a deep bond, always wanting to be together, and their loved ones are determined to honor that wish by holding their funerals side by side,' Hale's family revealed in a GoFundMe.  'Their sudden loss has left their families and friends in shock, struggling to find the words and strength to move forward.' Priddy led police on a chase for 30 minutes before being boxed in and brought to a stop on Highway 312  Police were alerted to Hale and Asher's kidnapping by concerned parents after the trio left a residence in Barbourville to 'go get something to eat' Asher (pictured) had accompanied Hale for moral support to go break up with Priddy Priddy's family said in a separate GoFundMe that the 21-year-old was a loving son, brother, uncle and 'a good kid.'  'He brought so much joy to our lives and to those around him. He was the kind of person who would go out of his way to help others, and his smile could light up a room, the GoFundMe set up by Sandy Rice said.  'Our family is struggling to cope with this loss, and we want to honor his memory in the best way we can.' Knox County residents as well as first responders were left shocked by the tragic events.    First responders found Priddy, Hale and Asher dead with gunshot wounds to the head after Priddy's car came to a stop  'They're really torn up as well to hear about the passing, about the girls. They're just in shock as much as their families and their friends and everybody," Mackenzie Watts, a friend of Jedance and Lila's, said to LEX18.  'I can't imagine the grief they're feeling from something like this. It's just unimaginable,' Laurel County Sheriff's Office Public Affairs Deputy Gilbert Acciardo said, according to the local news outlet.  'But then we had the first responders too that saw what they saw during their investigation. 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