mountain city, tn murders
You have permission to edit this article. Like her husband and daughter, Barbara was sentenced to serve life in prison. Assistant District Attorney Dennis Brooks will officially release Too Pretty to Live: The Catfishing Murders of East Tennessee on Tuesday by Diversion Publishing. Defense attorney Scott Shults listens as attorney Grace Studer makes closing arguments in a post-conviction hearing for Barbara and Jenelle Potter in July 2021. Marvin Potter said he shot Payne accidentally, but intentionally slit the mans throat because of the threats Potter believed Payne had made toward Jenelle. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Potter was once friendly with Payne in person, hanging out at barbecues and even going rappelling together. 18,000 local law enforcement agencies in the U.S. That case focused on information revealed from Deputy District Attorney Dennis Brooks book on the case, Too Pretty to Live, the Catfishing Murders of East Tennessee. Barbara and Jenelle Potters attorneys are focusing this new request around Marvin Potters never-before-heard testimony on the chain of events. Marvin Buddy Potter husband of Barbara and father to Jenelle was also convicted of the murders. I think they would be called masterminds. feet 2 baths - beds #2 Old Us Highway 421 Zionville, NC 28698 1,344 sq. They have an 8-month-old baby, who was found unharmed in Hayworth's arms. There was a problem saving your notification. The statement also said Buddy Potter was innocent and that it was Curd who planned and carried out the murders. I didn't truly believe that Buddy Potter was capable of doing this, Lott said. Counsel made no such arguments despite the evidence which was available to support the arguments. Curd took a plea deal of 25 years in prison. NeighborhoodScout provides exclusive crime risk analytics for every neighborhood in America with up to 98% predictive accuracy. The couple defriended Jenelle Potter, prosecutors said, which may have been the ultimate action that led to the murder. Jenelle Potter's defense attorney Cameron Hyder said, "Jenelle Potter operates on the level of an 8- or 9-year-old.. The two were shot to death in their Mountain City . Jenelle Potter said she had trouble making friends when she lived in Mountain City, Tenn. Jenelle Potter, left, and Jamie Curd, right, started dating after Tracy Greenwell set them up. I've done everything. On Jan. 31, 2012, a friend found Billie Jean Hayworth and Billy Payne dead by single gunshots to their faces. She will eventually be coming up for parole. And when she would go out with her dad, he said they were watching them together, Barbara said. Please dont do this, Jenelles mom Barbara said. From our analysis, we discovered that violent crime in Mountain City occurs at a rate higher than in most communities of all population sizes in America. That sentence is also concurrent to her life sentences. Nothing ever showed up in my sent box," Jenelle Potter said. If you can show trial counsel had a conflict of interest, then you didnt have independent representation. But behind her parents backs, Jenelle and Curd would secretly spend time together. I already knew the story, he said. I just needed to lay it out. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 1. Jenelle said one of her Facebook friends, Billie Jean Hayworth, was the one behind the attacks because Hayworth was jealous of her looks. Crime, My Chances of Becoming a Victim of a He now says what triggered his actions was evidence presented by Curd that his daughter was being bullied. After Curds plea on Tuesday, state prosecutors Assistant District Attorneys Matt Roark and Dennis Brooks presented two witnesses to testify about how the deaths of Payne and Hayworth affected them and their families. Rental prices in Mountain City are 40% lower than the . The evidence in this case was such that Barbaras best defense would have been to argue that she did not commit the crime, and if her husband did commit the crime, she was unaware of her husbands intentions, and therefore she did not assist or promote the offenses. After being at the interrogation for nearly six hours, Curd told police Jenelles dad Marvin killed Hayworth and Payne. The fact that Mr. Fallin failed to engage his clients in the required discussions regarding conflict of interest and waiver of the potential conflict does not, standing alone, entitle Petitioner to relief. An agent meticulously reconstructed the shredded papers found in Marvin Potter's truck, pictured here, which appeared to be thousands of emails sent to the Potter family. This is important because the overall crime rate can be further illuminated by understanding if violent crime or property crimes (or both) are the major contributors to the general rate of crime in Mountain City. For more information about the book, visit www.diversionbooks.com. Listen to "39: Catfishing in Mountain City, TN: The Facebook Murders" on Spreaker. Police had a major breakthrough in their investigation of the murders after interviewing Potter's boyfriend, Jamie Curd, who admitted to being involved in the murders and told police that Jenelle Potters father, Marvin Potter, shot Hayworth and Payne to protect his daughter from what he perceived as an imminent threat? Jenelle and Her Family Adjust to Life in Mountain City. ", Prosecutor Dennis Brooks told "20/20" that social media allowed Jenelle Potter to be someone that she wasn't. In the upcoming months, officials will decide whether the Potter women will receive a new trial, get a chance at an appeal, or be left to serve their sentences as planned. Brig. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. The case was dubbed the Facebook murders because Jenelle Potter was unfriended by Payne and Hayworth on the social media site. You can cancel at any time. "I didn't murder anyone," Jenelle Potter told ABC News' "20/20.". To have that opportunity was important to her. Because of health problems, including Type 1 diabetes, Potter spent most of her time living at home with her parents, who cared for her every day. Jenelles Dad Admits to Being Involved in Murders. Shults, who represented Barbara Potter in this part of her appeal, said his client was entitled to due process and independent counsel for her trial. He survived unharmed, though he was found covered in blood. Considering this evidence, the Court concludes Mr. Fallin operated under a conflict of interest in representing both Barbara and Marvin Potter in this case.. You have permission to edit this article. Curd is the only one charged who admitted any involvement in the killings, but told investigators and testified that he had no knowledge of it prior to the morning it happened and that it was Buddy Potter who killed the couple. Schults reportedly told JCP that Barbara requested him to reach a deal with prosecutorsagainst his advicebecause she did not want to go through another trial. If he had testified while his case was on appeal, that would have upset that process because at his wife and daughters post-conviction hearing, he did testify. Violent Greenwell introduced Jenelle to her cousin Jamie Curd, who is handy with computers. Garland also had some harsh words for Barbara Potter, answering a question posed in one of Barbaras emails. The crime rate in Mountain City is considerably higher than the national average across all communities in America from the largest to the smallest, although at 13 crimes per one thousand residents, it is not among the communities with the very highest crime rate. Prosecutors believe Jenelle used the false identity to fool her parents and to goad Marvin into the killing. Chief Deputy Woodard said investigators found an arsenal of weapons around the home though none matched the murder weapon. He entered that plea to facilitation to commit murder Tuesday prior to the Potter womens sentencing hearing. Data Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation - Crime in the U.S. MLA Citation: Other Cities in TN; City Name Population Rate; Ridgely: 1,662: 60.17: Bean Station: 3,094: 32.32: Savannah: 6,968: 28.70: "She may be on a fourth-grade level, but she has a Ph.D. in manipulation," Brooks, the prosecutor, said. Like the request in 2016, this attempt revolves around new evidence. [Jenelle said] she wished that Bill and Billie Jean and that damn baby would die. Whats happening this weekend around the Tri-Cities? Violent Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents), Property Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents). Partly cloudy skies. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Enhanced Cost of Living Calculator Now includes childcare, taxes, health, housing for home owners vs renters, insurance costs and more when you upgrade to premium. When she invented Chris, she could assume a different identity and be as hateful as she wanted to be.". In a major breakthrough, Curd told detectives hed been texting with a man named Chris who told him he was in the CIA and that it was his job to protect Jenelle at all costs. A Crime That SHOCKED The Nation - Mary Holmes - Thatcher, AZ. appearing in washington county court on wednesday, barbara potter, 69, pleaded guilty to two counts of . First published on January 24, 2013 / 2:29 PM. MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (WCYB) One of six people charged in the kidnapping and murder of a North Carolina man was found guilty in a Johnson County, Tennessee courtroom. In May 2015, three and a half years after the shootings, Jenelle and Barbara finally went on trial. ", Jenelle Potter said of communicating with the supposed CIA agent Chris through email, "I thought he was someone that I was friends with in school. Morefield reportedly told investigators that the shooting was in self-defense. We won't share it with anyone else. Our nationally-comparable school ratings are covered under US Patent No. This is about average for all cities and towns in America of all population sizes. She could assume a different identity and be as hateful as she wanted to be, Brooks said. "I love my daughter. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Street was pronounced dead at the scene, police report. Their relationship went south when Hayworth began dating Payne, whom she allegedly knew Jenelle was pining for. Jenelle Potter had a love interest in Payne and apparently wasnt happy when he began dating Hayworth. Jenelle Potter said her father became more protective with her because of the alleged threats she was receiving. But Jenelle said there were real threats of violence against her. NewsBreak provides latest and breaking Mountain City, TN local news, weather forecast, crime and safety reports, traffic updates, event notices, sports, entertainment, local life and other items of interest in the community and nearby towns. Mountain City real estate prices are 10% lower than the Tennessee average. Jenelle was accused of catfishing, or creating a fake social media account to convince her family that Payne and Hayworth were dangerous. Winds light and variable. Detectives had Curd call Marvin to get a confession on tape. Appearing in Washington County Court on Wednesday, Barbara Potter, 69, pleaded guilty to two counts of facilitation of first-degree murder in the 2012 killings of Billy Payne and Billie Jean Hayworth, Johnson City Pressreported. They unfriended me," Jenelle said. Paynes stepfather, David Garland, sent copies of a letter addressed to the acting sheriff, Mike Reece, to The Tomahawk in July 2012. 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Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Jenelle Potter during her murder trial in Jonesborough in 2020. Choose wisely! In another part of the ruling, Acree wrote: In this case, despite Mr. Fallins belief that no conflict of interest prevented him from representing both Barbara Potter and Marvin Potter, the Rules of Professional Conduct make clear that Mr. Fallin was required to explain the potential conflict to his clients and obtain informed consent in writing before Mr. Fallin could represent Barbara. Attorney Scott Shults, right, talks to his client, Barbara Potter on Wednesday, July 14. He also said he never communicated by email with the women and hadnt seen Jenelle since high school. Invalid password or account does not exist. Authorities seized 51 items from the house, including their family computer. All the trademarks displayed on this page are the property of Location, Inc. Create a password that only you will remember. Mr. Fallin asserted at the post-conviction hearing that there were no conflicting interests between Petitioner and her husband, but the testimony of the other witnesses and the evidence presented at the two trials paint a far different picture. He said he was down here to protect me, protect my parents. Because of what they were saying about my daughter.. The 2019 Mountain City crime rate fell by 41% compared to 2018. Wed have the right to appeal that, but if a judge sets forth sound legal reasoning, its hard to win an appeal, Brooks said. And I unfriended her., Jenelles Former Friends Are Found Murdered. The 2019 crime rate in Mountain City, TN is 69 (City-Data.com crime index), which is 3.9 times lower than the U.S. average. While Marvin was being questioned, police executed a search warrant on the Potter house. Guilty verdicts were handed out for the Potters and Curd pleaded guilty. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. From time to time, Curd would visit the Potter house to fix the family computer. The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Mountain City is 1 in 76. Police later moved in and arrested Marvin in a pre-dawn raid in February 2012. MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) A Mountain City man has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly shooting a man in the neck in November 2020. Clear skies. Jenelles sister Christie Groover, whos been estranged from the family for a decade, said Jenelle struggled to make friends growing up. The states evidence hinged on hundreds of emails and Facebook posts and messages sent between Jenelle, her mother, Curd and a mystery man named Chris who was supposedly a CIA agent who wanted to kill Payne and Hayworth but couldnt, so he urged the Potter women to find someone else to do it. When they impounded Marvins truck, they found bags of shredded documents, pictured above. [photo credit: YouTube] However, Jessica Fallin, in addition to being counsels daughter, was her fathers employee. Director Adam Kassen Stars Marken Greenwood Danny McFarland Diana Caban Velez She did want to go in there and plead guilty, Schults told the paper. I did not do that," Barbara Potter told ABC News' "20/20. The infamous double-murder was dubbed the Facebook murders after authorities said that the killings were, in part, due to an online feud that was motivated by jealousy and harassment. Jenelle spent time with Greenwell and her friends, including Greenwells brother Billy Payne. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. I think they would be called masterminds, said Lott. He testified at Barbara and Jenelles trial that Buddy Potter asked him for a favor, then cashed in on it the morning of the murders. Create a password that only you will remember. It turned out there really was a person named Chris Chris Tjaden, a police officer in Delaware who attended high school with Jenelle Potter who prosecutors said Jenelle based her fictitious CIA friend on. Jenelle Potter's former friends Billie Jean Hayworth, Billy Payne were murdered. Barbara, you wanted to know if youd go to hell? Because we knew that they had trouble with [Hayworth and Payne], Woodard told 20/20.. A feud erupted on social media with Curd, Paynes cousin, taking Jenelles side. I wanted [them] to quit. Updated annually. A Johnson County man pleaded guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder in a brutal 2012 double murder Tuesday, and the mother and daughter convicted of the crimes will serve their two life. The 60-year-old father is charged with two counts of first-degree murder for killing Billy Payne Jr. and his girlfriend, Billie Jean Hayworth. Paynes throat had also been slashed as he lay in bed, and Billie Jean had been cradling their baby in her arms when she died. feet 1 baths 3 beds #3 Highway 133 Shady Valley, TN 37688 1,120 sq. Cause I wasnt born and raised here. Were guaranteed that in our Constitution, Shults said. ", "[My mom and Chris] would write emails all the time back and forth, and she would tell me about him, she added. And we were trying to figure out who he was. Social media allowed Jenelle Potter to be someone that she wasnt She invented Chris. Somebody hated her. The CIA agent Chris had apparently been corresponding with Barbara and warning her about threats to her daughters life. I walked away from that (post-conviction) hearing myself having concerns about that representation.. Potter lived most of her adult life on social media. The murders happened in Mountain City, but the case is being tried in Jonesborough because of the pre-trial publicity that surrounded the so-called Facebook murders.. "He said he couldn't use his real name, his real identity," Barbara Potter said. Trial counsel H. Randolph Fallin operated under a conflict of interest resulting from his representing both Petitioner and her husband, Marvin Buddy Potter. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood said the crime was the most bizarre thing hes seen in his career as a judge, but that concurrent sentences virtually guarantees the women will never be released. Rice asked Barbara to confirm that her current attorney, Scott Schults, had performed his job to the best of his abilities, which she did. Marvin Potter, Barbara Potter and Jenelle Potter are all planning to appeal their convictions. Curd received a 25-year sentence on facilitation to second-degree murder charge. The murders shocked the public conscious, leading cases to be moved out of the county because of pre-trial publicity, and were also the subject of a book penned Deputy District Attorney Dennis Brooks titled, Too Pretty to Live, the Catfishing Murders of East Tennessee.. Furthermore, a conflict existed between counsels loyalties to Petitioner and her husband as clients and what can be described (for lack of a better phrase) as Mr. Fallins business relationship with the Potters. I did not do that, Barbara said. Hayworth was holding their young son, but he was not injured. Brooks believes Jenelle was pretending to be Chris. Mountain City Murder (Hannah Scrabble Cozy Mysteries Book 3) Kindle Edition by Marty Donnellan (Author) Format: Kindle Edition 39 ratings Book 2 of 2: Hannah Scrabble Cozy Mysteries Kindle $0.00 Read with Kindle Unlimited to also enjoy access to over 1 million more titles $3.99 to buy Paperback $9.99 5 New from $9.99 The year is 1978. MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) - A Mountain City man has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly shooting a man in the neck in November 2020. He was tried in 2013, while his wife and daughter were tried together in 2015. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, 'PURPOSE IN THE PAIN' Faith, family fuels Eastside girls basketball coach Funk, VHSL HOOPS: George Wythe's Ty Campbell making his own legacy, LOCALS IN THE PROS: Mac McClung back at the G League grind, Richlands altercation under investigation, VHSL CLASS 1 BOYS: George Wythe hits 16 3s in trouncing of Twin Springs, VHSL HOOPS: Ryan Horne having senior year to remember for Twin Springs, KFC is bringing back a fan favorite after a nearly 10-year hiatus, REGION 1D: Fourth time the charm for J.I. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. I changed my password lots of times. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Data for all 32,900 zip codes in one easy-to-use Excel file Mountain City, Tn Housing Market Highlights ECONOMY Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Jamie Lynn Curd, 38, of 2358 Pleasant Valley Road, Mountain City, Tn., and Marvin "Buddy" Potter, Jr., 60, of 727 Hospital Road, Mountain City, Tn., were both charged overnight with two counts . Where is 2022 data? Petitioner also could have argued that if she was guilty of anything, she was guilty of lesser offenses. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Yes, Barbara responded. My client is not guilty for having an overprotective father, Jenelles attorney Cameron Hyder told 20/20. She is not capable of directing anyone to commit murder. 8,376,755. Cost of living in Mountain City is 5% lower than the Tennessee average. Initially police were baffled by the crime, until they uncovered a web of lies and manipulation so bizarre it would catapult the small town into the national spotlight. bcampbell@johnsoncitypress.com, One of three Facebook murder convictions overturned, mother granted new trial. Subscriber Verification(Must be Logged In Using Free Account). Regardless of how Mountain City does relative to all communities in America of all sizes, when NeighborhoodScout compared it to communities of similar population size, its crime rate per thousand residents stands out as higher than most. The book is written in the first person perspective and tells what led to the brutal murder. Robert Littleton was. Curd said Buddy picked him up and drove to a church parking lot near the Payne home. Unfortunately in today's society, despite the fact that the officer is guilty of a crime under Title 18 USC 242, depriving a citizen of his rights "under color of law", it's unlikely that anything will happen to officer McCloud, who will remain free to intimidate citizens of Johnson County,TN and abuse his authority as he sees fit. After a six-day trial, the two were convicted of planning the Jan. 31, 2012, shooting deaths of Bill Payne, 36, and Billie Jean Hayworth, 23, inside that couples Johnson County home. A Johnson County man pleaded guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder in a brutal 2012 double murder Tuesday, and the mother and daughter convicted of the crimes will serve their two life sentences concurrently, a judge ruled, giving the younger woman at least some chance of being paroled. Methodology: The Mountain City TN murder/homicide rate for 2015 was 0 per 100,000 population, a NAN% decline from 2014. I just disliked them. Jenelle Potter was jealous of the couples relationship and created a CIA agent, named Chris, to get into touch with her parents, Brooks said.
