A Pathfork man has been arrested and charged with murder after allegedly stabbing his 50-year-old girlfriend to death Saturday evening in Harlan County, according to Kentucky State Police.

KSP Post 10 troopers responded around 7 p.m. to a residence at the 6000 block of Kentucky State Highway 72 after reports of a stabbing. Investigators found that Mary Clayborn, 50, had suffered stab wounds to her neck and chest allegedly inflicted by Michael Howard, 36, who was in a romantic relationship with the victim.

Clayborn was transported to a local emergency room in Harlan County but was pronounced dead before a planned airlift to a larger hospital due to uncontrollable bleeding from her wounds, according to KSP Trooper Shane Jacobs. Her body was transferred to the State Medical Examiner's Office in Frankfort for an autopsy.

Howard was arrested without incident and taken into custody at the Harlan County Detention Center. In addition to the murder charge, he faces three counts of failure to appear in court, disregard for a stop sign, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, theft by unlawful taking or disposition, and resisting arrest. His murder charge carries a $1 million bond.

The homicide investigation remains active, with the Harlan County Coroner's Office assisting KSP Post 10 at the scene. Harlan County, located in southeastern Kentucky's Appalachian region, has experienced ongoing challenges with violent crime in recent years.