Oak Ridge Today

TBI: Morgan Co. woman charged with attempted murder in husband’s shooting

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Jennifer Darlene Smith

Jennifer Darlene Smith

A Morgan County woman has been charged with attempted murder in the alleged shooting of her husband on Friday, authorities said.

Jennifer Darlene Smith, 39, faces one count of attempted second-degree murder, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said. She was being held in the Morgan County Jail on Saturday morning, and her bond has been set at $100,000, the TBI said.

The alleged shooting occurred shortly after 5 p.m. Friday at the family’s home on Morgan County Highway in Sunbright, the TBI said. When authorities responded, they found 61-year-old Leroy James Smith Jr. suffering from a gunshot wound, the TBI said in a press release. [Read more…]

TBI asks for public’s help identifying body found in Monroe County creek

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TBI Logo

CHATTANOOGA—Special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are asking for the public’s help in identifying a woman whose body was found in a creek in Monroe County on Wednesday night.

At the request of 10th District Attorney General Steve Crump, TBI special agents, in a joint investigation with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, responded to a report of a woman’s body found in a creek off Tellico Lake near Sloan Road. It is unknown how long the body had been there.

Agents have been unable to determine the identity of the woman and hope someone may be able to identify her by some of her physical features. The victim is believed to be a white female, possibly in her 40s. She is believed to be about 5’6″, with medium to dark hair. She does not have any natural teeth. The victim has multiple ear piercings, and has a healed-over eyebrow and bellybutton piercing. She has a tattoo of a small flower on her right shoulder blade and another of three Asian markings on her left leg between the ankle and the calf. Additionally, she has a scar on her abdomen.

Anyone who can provide information as to the identity of the woman found in the creek near Vonore on Wednesday night is encouraged to call the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

TBI not investigating Akagi, POST ends its inquiry, DAs say no violation

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James T. Akagi

James T. Akagi

Note: This story was last updated at 8:53 a.m. July 2.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is not investigating, two district attorneys said there was no violation, and the state agency that certifies police officers has completed its activities, officials said Wednesday.

That would appear to end the inquiry of Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi by the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, or POST. In April, POST asked three authorities, including one federal official and two state officials, whether Akagi had violated state and federal laws by possessing a firearm after being issued an ex parte order of protection during divorce proceedings in Blount County three years ago.

The response from all three officials has been “no,” according to letters sent to POST.

Oak Ridge Today reported on the response from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as reported by Akagi’s attorney Tasha Blakney, on Tuesday. The two state officials—Dave Clark, district attorney general in the Seventh Judicial District in Clinton, and Mike Flynn, district attorney general in the Fifth Judicial District in Maryville—sent their response to POST on Wednesday.

“The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and our offices have concluded that based on what you submitted, there never has been an order of protection issued against Chief Akagi and thus no violation of an order of protection could have occurred,” Clark and Flynn said in a letter to Ray Farris, assistant director of the POST Commission. “Any criminal investigation in this case is closed.” [Read more…]

ACSD: Daughter’s boyfriend charged with murder in Andersonville shooting

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William James McMillan

William James McMillan

Note: This story was updated at 11:33 a.m.

An Andersonville man has been charged with murder in a shooting that allegedly killed his girlfriend’s mother early Wednesday, authorities said.

William James McMillan, 48, is accused of fatally shooting Karen Zahrobsky, 66, according to authorities. They said McMillan, Zahrobsky, and Zahrobsky’s daughter, Christin Dixon, 45, all lived at 460 Lone Mountain Road in Andersonville, where the shooting allegedly occurred.

The shooting was reported at about 4:45 a.m. Wednesday. Zahrobsky was dead when deputies arrived.

McMillan was charged by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which helped investigate. McMillan was booked into the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton, and he is being held on $625,000.00 bond. [Read more…]

DA: Crime down 12 percent in Anderson County

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Dave Clark

Dave Clark

Crime dropped 12 percent in Anderson County and its cities in 2014, Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark said Wednesday.

It’s the eighth year in a row that crime has dropped, according to statistics released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Clark said in a press release. He said crime is down 42 percent in the county and its cities during the past eight years.

During that same period, crime was down in Tennessee by an “impressive” 16 percent, Clark said.

“However, locally, we have more than doubled the crime reduction that has been accomplished across the state,” he said. [Read more…]

TBI report shows overall drop in crime, but murder reports up in Tenn.

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NASHVILLE—The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released its 2014 Crime in Tennessee report on Monday, and it showed an overall decline in crime, but reported murders increased and arrests for driving under the influence were up slightly.

The annual study compiles data reported from each law enforcement agency in the state, providing an updated and comprehensive picture of the successes and challenges facing communities across Tennessee, a press release said.

Among the report’s findings: [Read more…]

Former Scott County deputy nabbed in TBI theft, misconduct case

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Cody Scott Yancey

Cody Scott Yancey

Special agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have obtained indictments for a former Scott County Sheriff’s Department deputy accused of misconduct, authorities said. The deputy allegedly entered his department’s temporary evidence storage and removed multiple pieces of drug evidence, the TBI said.

At the request of Eighth District Attorney General Jared Effler, TBI special agents began investigating Cody Scott Yancey on October 16, 2014, a press release said.

“During the course of the investigation, agents developed information that on several occasions between September 22 and October 14, Yancey made illegal entry into his department’s temporary evidence storage and removed multiple pieces of drug evidence,” the release said. [Read more…]

Former police officer charged with aggravated assault after Roane shooting

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Jeremy Alexander Gambrell

Jeremy Alexander Gambrell

A former police officer was charged with two counts of aggravated assault after he allegedly shot his ex-wife and shot at another man at a home near Blair Road in Roane County on Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

Jeremy Alexander Gambrell, 41, of Harriman, was allegedly armed with a handgun when he went to the home of his ex-wife, Jenny Gambrell, at 142 Bridges Drive on Saturday afternoon, according to arrest warrants filed in Roane County General Sessions Court.

Jeremy’s father David Gambrell told the Roane County Sheriff’s Office that he heard gunshots and saw Jenny on the ground, and Jeremy was next to her holding her hand, the warrants said.

“David stated that Jeremy was apologizing to Jenny, and telling her that he loved her,” the warrants said. [Read more…]

TBI probing deputy-involved Roane shooting

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Information from WYSH Radio

The TBI is investigating an officer-involved shooting in Roane County after a police chase ended with a sheriff’s deputy firing his weapon through a car’s windshield.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the shooting occurred at the Airport Road exit off I-40 West.

A Roane County sheriff’s deputy clocked a Hyundai traveling at more than 100 miles an hour on Highway 27 in Harriman. The deputy turned on his lights and sirens and gave chase, but instead of pulling over, the car entered I-40 westbound and the pursuit continued to the exit ramp at mile marker 340. [Read more…]

Former TBI fugitive charged with kidnapping, murder of missing Campbell County woman

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Lonnie Vann

Lonnie Vann

KNOXVILLE–A former Top 10 fugitive who had been wanted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for armed robbery has now been charged with killing a woman who had been reported missing in Campbell County more than a month ago.

Lonnie Lee Vann, 44, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of kidnapping, the TBI said in a press release Wednesday, the same day a Campbell County grand jury returned the indictments.

At the request of 8th District Attorney General Jared Effler, TBI special agents, helped by investigators from the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies in East Tennessee, began investigating the disappearance of Rhonda Daugherty on December 4. The 49-year woman went missing from her home on December 2. [Read more…]

DA: No suspect, no charge in alleged rape by officer or security guard

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Dave Clark

Dave Clark

Note: This story was last updated at 8:40 p.m.

The six-month investigation of an alleged rape by a security guard or police officer has been completed, and no suspect has been identified and there is no basis for a criminal charge, Anderson County’s top prosecutor said. Also, the credibility of the alleged victim is in doubt, District Attorney General Dave Clark said in a Tuesday letter to Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi.

The Oak Ridge Police Department reported the alleged rape in June. An adult female had reported that she was raped by a uniformed man who appeared to be a police officer or security guard, although it wasn’t clear if a specific agency was ever named. The woman reported that she was handcuffed and raped behind Oak Ridge Mall in the back seat of a police-type cruiser.

The woman was interviewed by Oak Ridge police officers, and the ORPD then contacted the Anderson County District Attorney General’s Office, which notified the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation of the allegation.

“Due to the nature of the allegation, Chief Akagi thought it would be best to have another agency conduct the investigation,” Clark said in a two-page investigative report.

The TBI investigation of the high-profile case is now complete. [Read more…]

TBI: Robbery suspect on most wanted list captured in Myrtle Beach

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Lonnie Vann

Lonnie Vann

A Jacksboro man who is a robbery suspect on the state’s most wanted list was captured Friday night in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, authorities said. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Lonnie Vann is wanted by the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office and the TBI on two counts of armed robbery from a December 5 incident on Deerfield Way in Lafollette.

Vann, a Jacksboro resident and former Campbell County middle school teacher, was added to the TBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted list one week ago. He was the most recent addition to the list.

In a press release Saturday, the TBI said special agents developed leads that Vann was in South Carolina. At about 7:30 p.m. Friday, Myrtle Beach police officers spotted the white Chevy Captiva that Vann was driving on Highway 501, the release said. [Read more…]