13 things about Columbia, Kentucky’s Elena Bardin

Elena K. Milby Bardin is a married woman from Columbia, Adair County, Kentucky, United States, which is home to Adair County High School and Lindsey Wilson College. She and her husband Michael Paul Bardin have one daughter together.

Bardin is 22 years younger than Michael, who is an oilman. He is Corine Bardin Petty‘s son and James Ralph Petty‘s stepson.

BIOGRAPHY

Elena is a teacher and a licensed mental health counsellor. Here are 13 more things about her:

1. Her paternal grandparents are Edgar Milby and Jean Milby.
2. Her grandfather Edgar was born and raised in Magnolia, LaRue County, Kentucky.
3. She is Emilee Milby‘s sister.
4. She was born into the United Methodist Church to Reverend Scott Milby, a preacher, and Dawn Milby.
5. Aside from Columbia, she has lived in other parts of Kentucky including Campbellsville.
6. Her father attended Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Jessamine County, Kentucky from 1993 to 1997.
7. She is the stepmother of Michael’s daughter, who was born in 2008.
8. Her husband Michael was part of the Proclamation Party when Adair County judge executive Ann Melton and Columbia mayor Mark D. Harris officially proclaimed Wildcat Drilling Week in Columbia.
9. From 2015 to 2019, she attended Lindsey Wilson College.
10. From May 2016 to August 2017, she was a counselor at Camp Loucon in Leitchfield, Grayson County, Kentucky.
11. In 2020, she and Michael welcomed their first child.
12. On September 19, 2024, she turned 27.
13. In 2025, she was arrested.

TIMELINE

Elena was assigned to the Adair Juvenile Detention Center in Columbia. She allegedly subjected a male juvenile at the facility to illegal sexual contact and provided him with sexually explicit images of herself.

2018

• On June 14, 2018, her grandfather Edgar died at age 81.
• On August 17, 2018, her husband’s stepfather James died at Norton’s Audubon Hospital in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky at age 74.

2019

• On January 10, 2019, she and Michael got married.

2020

• On May 11, 2020, she gave birth to her daughter.
• On October 10, 2020, she obtained her license as a mental health counsellor.

2021

• On October 3, 2021, she took to Facebook to share photos of herself with Michael. She wrote, “Happy National Boyfriends day to my forever boyfriend. You’re the love of my life and my best friend! I am so happy you shook my hand at church and I asked if you’d been hunting.”

2022

• On December 19, 2022, she took to Facebook to pay tribute to Michael. She wrote, “I want to start the day by wishing my honey a very Happy Birthday! I love you so much, you’ll never know! I’m so blessed to share this life with you! You’ll always be my oil lord.”

2023

• On November 4, 2023, she dressed up as Playboy bunny and Michael dressed up as old money for Halloween.

2024

• On June 15, 2024, she wrote on Facebook, “Happy Fathers Day to you Michael Bardin! I can honestly say God has truly blessed our girls with one of the best dads for them! I love you and all the wisdom, support, and through and through love you give them. Enjoy your day!”
• On August 17, 2024, she was hired by the Adair County Schools, a public school district based in Columbia.
• On December 19, 2024, she took to Facebook to pay tribute to Michael. She wrote, “To the love of my life and my very best friend, Happy Birthday. You’ll never know how much I love and appreciate all you do for me and the girls. I am beyond proud to be called your wife. Soak this year up because next year is the big one.”

2025

• On January 4, 2025, she and Michael went out on a date night.
• On February 14, 2025, she took to Facebook to share photos of herself with her husband with a caption, “Always my Valentine. I love you.”
• On March 14, 2025, she wrote on Facebook, “I preach respectful advocacy hourly where I work. When we feel we’ve been disrespected in some way it’s easy to come back with disrespect. In this world (and especially when dealing with “systems”) respect goes much further.”
• On March 27, 2025, materials found at the Adair Juvenile Detention Center contain evidence that she solicited a male juvenile to murder her husband.
• On April 2, 2025, she was arrested, booked into the Adair County Detention Center in Columbia and charged with murder (solicitation), first-degree sexual abuse and distribution of obscene matter to a minor (first offense).