The Trial for a Knoxville Mom Accused of Killing Her 5 Year-Old Daughter Continues with Law Enforcement Officials Taking the Stand

The Trial for a Knoxville Mom Accused of Killing Her 5 Year-Old Daughter Continues with Law Enforcement Officials Taking the Stand

The murder trial continues for Robin Howington, the Knoxville woman accused of killing her five year old daughter in 2019.

One of the witnesses called was a KPD evidence technician who examined all of the evidence. He found in the home that night, one piece of evidence, a gun. He testified he ran tests on the firearm looking for fingerprints but he didn’t find anything which is common.

The defense also cross examined the detective who questioned Howington the night of the shooting. They argued the detectives were wrong for even questioning Howington that night because she told detectives she was previously raped by a police officer and felt uncomfortable sitting in a room with them alone.

The shooting happened on September 14th on Balsam Drive and centers on Robin Howington, who is charged with felony murder, aggravated child neglect, false reporting, tampering with evidence, and attempted tampering with evidence in the death of her daughter, Destiny Oliver.

Knoxville Police Department records show Howington initially said the girl’s father was the one to pull the trigger. Those records also say that, later in the investigation, police discovered that Howington was caught on video wiping the gun used in the shooting with a rag and throwing it into bushes outside her home.

Howington reportedly changed her story to say that her other child, who was two years old at the time, got the gun from her closet and shot her daughter with it.

The trial will continue today and is expected to last the rest of the week.

BlueLine Tennessee has Organized a T-Shirt Fundraiser Benefitting Charities and the KCSO Officer/Employee Assistance Fund for Sheriff Tom Spangler who is Battling Cancer

BlueLine Tennessee has Organized a T-Shirt Fundraiser Benefitting Charities and the KCSO Officer/Employee Assistance Fund for Sheriff Tom Spangler who is Battling Cancer

Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and Blue Line Tennessee has organized a t-shirt fundraiser benefiting the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Officer/Employee Assistance Fund and charities of Spangler’s choosing once he completes his treatment.

Blue Line Tennessee said Spangler’s daughters loved the design, which will be available on a t-shirt and hoodie in sport gray from size small to 3XL.

T-shirts start at $25, and hoodies start at $35 and will take about three to five weeks to ship.

To order yours, please go https://bluelinetennessee.com/blue-line-shop/ols/products/fightlikespanky/v/FGH-HD-SML?fbclid=IwAR3H2mZDQPJjcM7ERqStFQlW_5NOPTt1UvuPeAC1qpl7UdAwp6ldTx3mkoQ

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Endorses Trump for President

Nashville, TN (WOKI / WVLT ) Former President Donald Trump wins the GOP’s presidential primary in Tennessee by a landslide Tuesday earning an endorsement from the Volunteer State’s top leader.

In a statement, Governor Bill Lee endorsed Trump for president following his overwhelming victory over challenger Nikki Haley.

Trump earned more than 445,000 votes while fellow Republican candidate Haley had about 112,000 votes.

In his message Tuesday, Lee offered Trump his full support saying, in part, that the United States would be “stronger with President Trump in office.”

“It’s time to unite behind proven, conservative leaders who will revive our economy, secure the border, and restore safety in our communities,” Lee said.

After Haley shut down her campaign Tuesday morning, Trump is now the presumptive Republican nominee and will likely face Biden in a rematch for president.

Oak Ridge Land Bank Requesting Qualifications for Downtown Development Project

Oak Ridge Land Bank Requesting Qualifications for Downtown Development Project

Oak Ridge, TN (WOKI) The Oak Ridge Land Bank has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to develop Downtown Oak Ridge.

The Land Bank is interested in selling developable parcels to foster construction of the most desirable project and for continued development.

Oak Ridge was born during the Manhattan Project without a centralized, mixed-use downtown. Over the decades, multiple plans have called for creating such a place where Oak Ridgers can live, work and play.

Submittals must comply with requirements of the D-1 zoning district and are due no later than 3:00 p.m. on May 3, 2024.

For more information and to view the RFQ, visit OakRidgeTN.gov/downtown. To contact the Planning & Development Department, call (865) 425-3531 or email [email protected].

The Trial for a Fountain City Woman Accused of Shooting and Killing Her Five-Year-Old Daughter Continues

The Trial for a Fountain City Woman Accused of Shooting and Killing Her Five-Year-Old Daughter Continues

Today is day three of the murder trial for Robin Howington who is accused of shooting and killing her five year old daughter at their Fountain City home in 2019.

One of the key witnesses called to the stand yesterday (Tuesday) was a KPD detective who told the court that Howington stories did not add up and he testified he even got frustrated.

During cross examination, the defense questioned one of the responding officers and pointed out the fact that Howington asked the officer the condition of her child and that she was praying for her well-being.

The trial does continue today.(Wednesday)

Knoxville Police Department highlights crime statistics, departmental changes in annual report

Knoxville Police Department highlights crime statistics, departmental changes in annual report

The Knoxville Police Department releases its yearly report, outlining crime statistics from 2022 to 2023 and departmental updates.

Chief of Police Paul Noel says Knoxville’s murder count dropped and car burglaries also dropped. This, all compared to 2022 data.

He also says they closed more than 70% of the murder cases that happened in 2023, which is much more than the national average for law enforcement agencies.

Super Tuesday Results for Knox County

Super Tuesday Results for Knox County

Several commission seats were up for grabs in Knox County, the Election Commission says almost 27,000 early voting and absentee ballots were cast ahead of Super Tuesday. Most were for the Republican Party Primary Election.

The District 8 seat on the Knox County Board of Education. The winner of that election, Travis Wright, took the seat immediately because the man who previously had it, Mike McMillan, died at 74 years old.

Wright will likely start his term on Thursday, at the Knox County Schools’ regular meeting.

For complete results, please go to https://www.knoxcounty.org/election/ or https://elections.knoxcounty.org/results/scrolling.php for link to scrolling results.

DOJ: Former Loudon County Corrections Officer Sentenced for Using Excessive Force

DOJ: Former Loudon County Corrections Officer Sentenced for Using Excessive Force

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A former Loudon County corrections officer was sentenced to prison on Monday for using excessive force.

A release from the Department of Justice says 32-year-old Brian Phillips, of Georgia, was sentenced to five months in prison as part of a plea agreement.

Phillips pleaded guilty to one count of use of excessive force under color of law in connection to an incident at the Loudon County Jail in January of 2021.

Court records indicate Phillips “hipslammed” a detainee headfirst into the concrete floor for getting a second dinner tray, which is not permitted.

Following his incarceration, Phillips will be on supervised release for two years.

ACSO: Two charged After Leading Police on High-Speed Chase in Oak Ridge

ACSO: Two charged After Leading Police on High-Speed Chase in Oak Ridge

Oak Ridge, TN (WOKI) Two people are arrested after a high speed chase through Oak Ridge.

Anderson County Deputies were called to the Marathon Gas Station on Oak Ridge Highway after a man was spotted at the gas pumps putting on a ski mask Monday morning.

When deputies arrived, the man fled the scene, and the chase went from Laurel Road through Oak Ridge ending on Southwood Lane.

ACSO: Two charged after leading police on high-speed chase in Oak Ridge (Courtesy: ACSO)

Twenty-three year-old Devon Pride and 24-year-old Destiny Simonds are charged with more than a dozen offenses including evading arrest, reckless driving and driving under the influence.

The investigation is on-going.

UT Medical Center Introduces Cutting Edge Cancer Treatment

UT Medical Center Introduces Cutting Edge Cancer Treatment

Knoxville, TN (WOKI) There are only 30 hospitals in the country that offer a newly FDA-approved T-cell treatment for cancer, and the University of Tennessee Medical Center is one of them.

Through this new treatment process, UTMC staff are able to take the cells that your body naturally produces to fight cancer, reproduce more of the effective cells, then inject them back into a patient with the hopes of reducing or eliminating the tumor altogether.

This new treatment became FDA approved on February 16, and it has already brought multiple patients to UT hospital to seek this treatment out.

It is the only hospital in the state to offer the treatment, the next closest option being Louisville or Atlanta.