Stabbing suspect, Dominic Comer, arrested in Loudon County. (Courtesy: LCSO)
Loudon County, TN (WOKI) The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, investigating a stabbing Saturday, December 2 has made an arrest in the case.
Late Saturday night LCSO was searching for a stabbing suspect after a person was stabbed in the 100 block of Comer Private Way.
The suspect, identified as Dominic Comer, ran from the scene but was arrested early Sunday morning, December 3 in the 1700 block of Corinth Church Road. The victim, 67 year-old Donna Talent, who is Comer’s grandfather’s girlfriend, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Comer is charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault.
Updated story: Knoxville Police have identified the suspect and victim in a fatal shooting at Arbor Place Apartments and are asking for help to locate that suspect.
Homicide Unit detectives have obtained warrants charging Jesse Bailey Jr., 28 of Knoxville, Tenn., with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, stemming from the shooting on Sunday morning at the Arbor Place Apartments.
At around 10:45 a.m. on Sunday, December 3, 2023, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to the 700 block of Lula Powell Drive, where a man was found inside of an apartment in the complex suffering from at least one gunshot wound. The victim, identified as 35-year-old Howard Jordan of Knoxville, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Leads developed in the early stages of the investigation led to the identification of Jesse Bailey Jr., who was subsequently charged with Jordan’s murder and for allegedly shooting at two other individuals who were inside the apartment.
Bailey Jr. is not in custody at this time and efforts are ongoing to locate him. Anyone with information concerning his whereabouts is urged to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165. Tipsters can remain anonymous and be eligible to receive a cash reward.
Bailey Jr. should be considered armed and dangerous.
Original Story: Knoxville Police are investigating a deadly shooting at Arbor Place Apartments.
Police were called to the 700 block of Lula Powell Drive yesterday (Sunday) for a shooting and officers found a man inside of an apartment who had been shot at least once. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect reportedly left the scene prior to the arrival of officers.
Anyone with information is being asked to contact authorities.
Donald D. Kirkland, 42 (Courtesy: DA Charme Allen’s Office)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A convicted felon and alleged gang member is sentenced Friday in a 2021 Knoxville traffic stop.
Donald D. Kirkland, 42, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted violent felon and reckless endangerment.
According to the Knoxville District Attorney’s office, Kirkland was charged following a traffic stop in November of 2021 after a call came in to KPD about a drunk driver at the Weigels on Western Avenue. When officers arrived, they tracked the driver down on Western Avenue, prompting a chase.
Once officers were able to stop the car, the DA says, they found that Kirkland was driving and his passenger was overdosing. The Knoxville Fire Department treated the passenger, and KPD officers found a handgun in Kirkland’s pocket.
“Gang members caught with guns can expect to receive long sentences, especially when those gang members have violent criminal histories,” said DA Charme Allen.
Kirkland has a prior robbery conviction from 2007 and three drug trafficking convictions; he is also a reported member of the Crips street gang.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Knoxville Police take two convicted felons into custody after confiscating five guns.
KPD responded to north Knoxville after getting a report of shots being fired on Forestdale Avenue early Friday morning.
Officers say the driver of a car told them that two people in his vehicle, identified as 21-year-old Alexander Foye and 36-year-old Buddy Blair, held a gun on him and had fired shots into the air.
Three AR-style pistols and two semi-automatic pistols were found; both suspects are charged with felon in possession of a weapon, and Foye was charged with aggravated kidnapping.
An investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) squad, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, and the McMinnville Police Department has resulted in the arrest of a man charged with the sexual exploitation of a minor.
ICAC agents received a cybertip via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) concerning a user of a messaging app who was engaging in sexual conversations with minors. During the course of the investigation, investigators identified the user as Eddie Pease. The investigation further revealed that Pease engaged in this behavior on various social media platforms.
On November 29th, TBI agents and McMinnville officers arrested Eddie Dwight Pease (DOB 05/23/1993). He was charged with Soliciting Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – Exploitation of a Minor by Electronic Means and was booked into the Warren County Jail on a $50,000 bond. The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone who may have had communication with the username of eddiepease722 on Snapchat, or on TikTok, as Eddiesfoodreviews, eddiepease2024, or Eddieschristiancookingshow is asked to contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.
The National Park Service (NPS) is investigating an online scam selling fraudulent parking tags to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Someone posing as the National Park Service is directing individuals and organizations to a website titled “Smokies Park Pass.” This website looks like it belongs to our park partner, Great Smoky Mountains Association (GSMA), but it is not a GSMA or NPS website. Please don’t visit or buy parking tags from this website.
Thank you for continued support of Park It Forward. One hundred percent of the funds generated by park fees stay right here in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to improve visitor safety, increase park ranger presence and to repair, enhance and maintain public park facilities.
Jellico, TN (WOKI) Utilities customers in the Jellico area will be without power for a time overnight Saturday, December 2.
Officials with Jellico Utilities say the Tennessee Valley Authority has scheduled a planned outage from 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 2 to 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 3.
They say the outage will impact all Jellico Utilities customers and that during the planned event, TVA will be conducting essential system maintenance.
“We sincerely appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this period. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and assure you that every effort will be made to minimize the duration of the interruption,” Jellico Utilities said.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A former Knoxville pet sitter has pleaded guilty to two charges of aggravated cruelty to animals.
That plea coming nearly nine months after 38 pets were removed from the home of 23 year-old Haylee Morris. Court documents indicate Morris pleaded guilty to the two animal cruelty charges as well as a violation of the rabies vaccination law; she was sentenced to serve 3 years, 364 days of probation.
Morris’ plea agreement also stipulates that she be banned for life from owning companion animals and pay $34,000 in restitution to Young-Williams Animal Center, where she had adopted and fostered pets previously.
A woman whose remains were found in 1987 in Roane County has been identified as a result of a partnership between the Roane County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Unidentified Human Remains DNA Initiative.
On August 29, 1987, a body was discovered by a passer-by beside a garbage dumpster in the 2600 block of Highway 58 in Kingston. Forensic anthropologists determined that the remains were those of a white female, likely between the ages of 35 and 50. The victim had been burned after her death and discarded beside the dumpster. Investigators with the Roane County Sheriff’s Office worked to determine the identity of the victim through the use of technology available in 1987, but their efforts were not successful. After exhausting all leads, investigators could not determine the victim’s identity, and she was classified as a Jane Doe.
In April, as part of the Unidentified Human Remains DNA Initiative, TBI agents assisted the Roane County Sheriff’s Office by submitting a sample of the woman’s remains to Othram Inc., a private lab based in Texas, for forensic genetic genealogical (FGG) DNA testing. Scientists provided information about possible relatives connected to the woman. Last month, agents made contact with one of those family members and obtained a familial DNA standard. That standard was then submitted to Othram for comparison against the DNA of the unidentified woman. Based on the DNA and forensic genealogy results, scientists at Othram confirmed that the unidentified remains belonged to Betty Lou Wisley (DOB: 12/30/1935), originally of Clinton, Missouri. It was further determined that Wisley was living in or near the Knox County area at the time of her death.
Now, Roane County Sheriff’s Office Investigators and TBI special agents are hoping the public can help piece together the events leading up to Betty Lou Wisley’s death. Anyone with information, specifically any knowledge about individuals she may have been with before her death, is asked to contact the Roane County Sheriff’s Office at 865-717-4722 or email tips to [email protected].
