Eric Joe Wilson
The attempted first-degree murder charge filed against an Oak Ridge man after he allegedly shot his sister in the ear in April was reduced to felony reckless endangerment last week and waived to the Anderson County Grand Jury for its consideration.
The state will not pursue a second charge, an aggravated assault charge, against Eric Joe Wilson, 42. That charge was dismissed.
Wilson was to be released on intensified felony pre-trial release, and as part of that release, he is supposed to continue mental health treatment and his family is supposed to monitor his medications.
Anderson County General Sessions Court Judge Roger Miller agreed to remove a no-contact provision that was part of Wilson’s pre-trial release. Wilson’s sister, Suzan Stiles, the victim in the alleged shooting, said she takes care of Wilson, and he’s not done anything like this before. Miller confirmed with Stiles that she had not been threatened or intimidated into making the request.
Wilson had a preliminary hearing scheduled in Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II, in Oak Ridge on Tuesday, August 16. During a preliminary hearing, a judge can hear from victims, witnesses, and investigators, and then consider whether there is probable cause to bind over the charges, or send them to a grand jury. An indictment by a grand jury bumps a case from a general sessions court to a criminal court.
In this case, though, there was no testimony during the preliminary hearing scheduled last Tuesday, and the reduced felony reckless endangerment charge was waived to the grand jury without a hearing.
Miller agreed to remove the no-contact request with Stiles because of Wilson’s mental health condition and because Stiles takes care of him. A tearful Stiles said the prohibitions were not necessary.
Officials said Stiles, who blamed herself for the alleged shooting, did not want to prosecute her brother, and she had hired an attorney to advise her as it related to testifying in the case.
The shooting allegedly occurred during an April 19 argument on Pacific Road, near the intersection of New York and Tennessee avenues in central Oak Ridge. Stiles was hit in the ear, authorities said.
Wilson allegedly got a handgun from his bedroom during the argument after stating he was going to shoot his sister, and he fired one shot in her direction, hitting her in the ear, according to affidavits filed earlier in Anderson County General Sessions Court.
Stiles was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville to be treated.
The siblings’ mother, Lavonne Wilson, said she heard Wilson say he was going to shoot his sister just before the shot was fired, ORPD Detective Kevin Craig said in the affidavits.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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