Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. There was controversy around how the Johnson County Sheriffs Office handled the murder case during the original investigation. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). In a mystery that involved a supposed CIA agent, cyber bullying and a small Tennessee town, read below to see what led to the coldblooded murders. Trial counsel H. Randolph Fallin operated under a conflict of interest resulting from his representing both Petitioner and her husband, Marvin Buddy Potter. Where is 2022 data? 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. I dont want people to think, Hes just prosecuting the case to write another book, said Brooks, who does not know whether hell ever write another book. Acrees ruling, filed Wednesday in Washington County, stated that Fallins representation of both Marvin and Barbara Potter negated Barbara Potter of a fair trial. He never testified. Said Jenelle Potter: "I didn't murder anyone.. Assistant District Attorney Dennis Brooks said he will have to talk with District Attorney Ken Baldwin to determine the states next step, but appealing the ruling could be an issue. Blackwood told Curd there was no guarantee the parole board would agree to grant his release that quickly. Listen to "39: Catfishing in Mountain City, TN: The Facebook Murders" on Spreaker. In recounting the evidence against Barbara during Wednesdays plea hearing, Deputy DA Brooks reportedly described how investigators found hundreds of emails that showed how Jenelle catfished by pretending to be a CIA agent named Chris. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Catfishing in Mountain City, TN: The Facebook Murders Southern Fried True Crime Podcast Episode 39 Description In a tiny town in Tennessee, a young couple are brutally shot, execution style in their home. After being at the interrogation for nearly six hours, Curd told police Jenelles dad Marvin killed Hayworth and Payne. 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. Crime, Popular Communities Near Mountain City TN. By being able to show conflict of interest, we were able to show ineffective assistance of counsel.. The turmoil eventually led to Buddy traveling to Payne and Hayworths mobile home in Mountain City where he shot and killed both execution-style, slit Paynes throat, and left the couples 8-month-old son alive in his mothers lifeless arms. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. "I didn't hate [Hayworth and Payne]. Curd agreed to a plea deal of 25 years in prison. Barbara could have argued that if her actions could have been construed as encouraging her husband to act, it resulted from her being duped or catfished.. I love my husband, but I would not sit here and lie for them," Barbara Potter said. A few months later, in October 2013, Marvin was found guilty for the murders and is currently serving two life sentences. But Jenelle Potter said Chris was using her email to protect his identity. The statement also said Buddy Potter was innocent and that it was Curd who planned and carried out the murders. She said she was the victim of anonymous cyberbullying, some of which she believes came from Hayworth. January 24, 2013 / 2:29 PM Barbara potter. Have a tip or story idea? 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. He was a sports writer at the Johnson City Press and a stringer for the Bristol Herald Courier and Maryville Daily Times. A veteran of more than 100 jury trials, including 18 jury verdicts of first-degree murder, Brooks wrote when he was younger. Check back later for full story on the hearing. Law enforcement officials have been involved in other incidents where Potter's daughter, Jenelle Potter, thought she had been slighted by someone. There was a problem saving your notification. Yeah, youre going to hell. They also, in the same breath, would say how different she was, and then [she] became unable to make friends normally, Groover told 20/20.Social media became Jenelles life support, though she said her parents monitored her Facebook page. ", Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. This conflict, Petitioner asserts, denied her a fair trial and also constituted the ineffective assistance of counsel; B. Mr. Fallin rendered ineffective assistance of counsel at trial based on counsels other actions at trial and on appeal; C. The State withheld exculpatory evidence, in violation of its obligations under Brady v. Maryland, thus denying Petitioner due process and a fair trial.. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. [The text messages were] very telling about Jenelle being involved in the preparation for the killing, prosecutor Dennis Brooks told 20/20.. Theyve threatened to take Jenelle, cut her head off.. Mr. Fallin made no effort to explain a potential conflict or obtain informed waivers from Barbara and Marvin. Maybe somewhere along the way, hes had a change of heart, but, in my mind, if he wanted to help those women at their trial, hed have done it. 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. I did Bill first and then I think Billie did me. Their infant son was still cradled in his dead mothers arms. Prosecutors believe Potter created a false online identity of a CIA agent named Chris, in a phenomenon known as "catfishing," to fool her parents and her boyfriend and to goad her father into killing Hayworth and Payne. Data for all 32,900 zip codes in one easy-to-use Excel file Mountain City, Tn Housing Market Highlights ECONOMY While Marvin was being questioned, police executed a search warrant on the Potter house. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. For those that are fuzzy on the nearly decade-old crime, this case, known as the Facebook Murders, revolves around a social media feud that made its way to the real world. Because we knew that they had trouble with [Hayworth and Payne], Woodard told 20/20.. By Becky Campbell Director Adam Kassen Stars Marken Greenwood Danny McFarland Diana Caban Velez 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. Potter is serving two concurrent life sentences for the murders of the couple who were found in their Mountain City, Tennessee, home with single gunshot wounds to their faces. [photo credit: YouTube] If you can show the attorney had a conflict of interest, then prejudice is presumed. Subscribe Now. With no evidence or DNA left at the crime scene, police rely on the rumor mill and their instincts to try and identify suspects. They took no medication. Marvin Potter is accused in the shooting deaths of a couple who removed his adult daughter as a friend on the social network. There was a web of jealousy, allegations of threats from Hayworth and Payne toward Jenelle Potter, emails between them all and even an alleged bounty for Jenelles murder, JCP reported. Jenelle Potter lived with her parents Barbara Potter and Marvin Potter, pictured together here. Best Places to Live in Mountain City, Tennessee State: Tennessee County: Johnson County Metro Area: No Metro Area City: Mountain City Zip Codes: 37683 Cost of Living: -26.8% lower New! Show Every Town, Ep Mountain City, TN - Unfriended Facebook Murders - Oct 8, 2021 Marvin Potter, Barbara Potter and Jenelle Potter are all planning to appeal their convictions. I wanted the harassment to stop," Potter said. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Authorities seized 51 items from the house, including their family computer. The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Mountain City is 1 in 76. 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. Barbara, you wanted to know if youd go to hell? At that time, Reeces only statement was that he would not respond to the letter in question. — -- Jenelle Potter was a sheltered young woman. Start your subscription for just $5 for 3 months Subscribe. But behind her parents backs, Jenelle and Curd would secretly spend time together. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. At one point, Barbara ripped the photos that were found in what seemed to be an attempt to hide them from police. The feud ended with Payne and Hayworth unfriending Jenelle on the social media site, according to the report. But Barbara, pictured above with Marvin, didnt accept her husbands supposed confession of guilt. 7,043,501 and 7,680,859. The photos, apparently taken from Facebook, had been emailed between Jenelle Potter and her mother with titles like panface, and whores. Barbara Potter received a three-year prison sentence for the tampering conviction. Facebook Murders revisited: I did that on purpose. Washington County District Attorney's Office. When they impounded Marvin Potter's truck, police also found several plastic bags of shredded emails that an agent put back together. Assistant District Attorney General Dennis Brooks. 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. The couple defriended Jenelle Potter, prosecutors said, which may have been the ultimate action that led to the murder. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. The judge did not find any fault on the Brady issue, but he did grant relief on the first two issues. "He was watching these people that he said were harassing her on the computer and calling her. That sentence is also concurrent to her life sentences. 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. Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood said the crime was the most bizarre thing hes seen in his career as as judge, but that concurrent sentences virtually guarantees the women will never be released. Curd said Buddy picked him up and drove to a church parking lot near the Payne home. Rice then asked how she wanted to plead. Washington County District Attorney's Office. Our nationally-comparable school ratings are covered under US Patent No. We felt sorry for Jenelle because she was sheltered and sick and stuff, Greenwell told 20/20.. I unfriended them. Jenelles Dad Admits to Being Involved in Murders. Billie Jean Hayworth and Billy Payne were found shot dead in their home. Instead of being herself, my parents tried to make her fit in. Social media allowed Jenelle Potter to be someone that she wasnt She invented Chris. Paynes stepfather, David Garland, sent copies of a letter addressed to the acting sheriff, Mike Reece, to The Tomahawk in July 2012. In one of them, Barbara Potter was communicating with Chris and sounded like she wanted Payne and Hayworth dead. 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.. Police also honed in on Jenelle and Curds text messages with each other the morning of the murders. Raw data sources: According to a release from the Mountain City Police Department, officers were called to the 300 block of Industrial Drive on November 14, 2020. Hed have given the testimony he gave yesterday.. All the trademarks displayed on this page are the property of Location, Inc. Download Historical Data Save as Image. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. ", 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. While being questioned by detectives, Marvin said, Ever since all this crap started, Ive had my life threatened. [They] threatened to get [me] raped, Jenelle said. After Marvin Potter, who is known as "Buddy," was arrested for the murders, he also told police his daughter's life was being threatened. Mountain City is located just a few miles from both the Virginia and North Carolina state lines. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. They kept referring to a guy Chris thats supposedly a CIA operative or something, special agent Lott said. "Barbara and Janelle share the responsibility. Its just not in her.. Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription. bcampbell@johnsoncitypress.com, One of three Facebook murder convictions overturned, mother granted new trial. Relative to Tennessee, Mountain City has a crime rate that is higher than 58% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes. Mountain City, TN: United States: Unemployment Rate: 5.3%: 5.5%: 6.0%: Recent Job Growth: 1.9%: 0.1 . 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. 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. It was higher than in 27.8% U.S. cities. Both. Brooks believes Jenelle was pretending to be Chris. Chris promised that he would have their back if they acted to protect Jenelle. Listen to 39: Catfishing in Mountain City, TN: The Facebook Murders, an episode of Southern Fried True Crime, easily on Podbay - the best podcast player on the web. Assistant District Attorney Dennis Brooks will officially release Too Pretty to Live: The Catfishing Murders of East Tennessee on Tuesday by Diversion Publishing. Randy Fallin, defense attorney for Barbara Potter at her murder trial in 2020. I did that on purpose, Marvin testified about slitting Paynes throat in his confession at the post-conviction hearing. There were some discussions that he would testify at his wifes trial, but ultimately he did not. Defense attorneys did not present any evidence, but argued that concurrent sentencing was warranted in the case. Mountain City has a Livability Score of 56 /100, which is considered poor. They unfriended me," Jenelle said. According to a release from the. Yes, Barbara responded. The business relationship imputed to Mr. Fallin by her daughters actions was adverse to Petitioner and therefore barred by the Rules of Professional Conduct. "I did Bill first and then I think Billie did me. Crime, My Chances of Becoming a Victim of a 18,000 local law enforcement agencies in the U.S. On Jan. 31, 2012, a friend of Payne and Hayworth found them dead by single gunshots to their faces. A Tennessee mother who was one of the three family members convicted in the so-called Facebook Murders case rejected her chance at a new trial and reached a deal with prosecutors that will send her to prison for 25 years. And I unfriended her., Jenelles Former Friends Are Found Murdered. Potter lived most of her adult life on social media. And on the Potters computer, police analysis found that hundreds of emails sent from the CIA agent Chris all came from the same IP address as the home where the Potters lived. Left to right: Jamie Curd, and his attorney Casey Sears sit with Barbara Potter (foreground), Jenelle Potter and her attorney Cameron Hyder during the sentencing hearing Tuesday as Barbara Potter's attorney, Randy Fallin addresses the court.Becky Campbell. Potters mother Barbara Potter had a job with Hewlett-Packard, and her father Marvin Potter, known as Buddy, was a former marine who served in Vietnam. Violent Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents), Property Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents). 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. The Mountain City TN murder/homicide rate for 2015 was 0 per 100,000 population, a NAN% decline from 2014. Now let us turn to take a look at how Mountain City does for violent crimes specifically, and then how it does for property crimes. Case suggested by Linda MorganSuggested Reading: Too Pretty to Live: The Catfishing Murders of East Tennessee byJames Brooks, Written, hosted, produced by Erica KelleyResearched by Erica KelleyOriginal Graphic Art by Coley HornerOriginal Music by Rob Harrison-Gamma Radio, https://www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/pottermarvinopn_3.pdf, https://www.amazon.com/Too-Pretty-Live-Catfishing-Tennessee-ebook/dp/B01994PAE8, https://abcnews.go.com/US/social-media-feud-led-murder-young-tennessee-couple/story?id=34346840, https://www.thetomahawk.com/local-news/prison-guard-fired-writing-letter-judge-support-potter-women/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_City,_Tennessee, http://www.city-data.com/city/Mountain-City-Tennessee.html, https://www.wjhl.com/local/tenn-supreme-court-censures-assistant-carter-co-district-attorney-over-facebook-murders-book/1308165452, https://media.wjhl.com/nxs-wjhltv-media-us-east-1/document_dev/2018/07/17/brooks-44880-carter-county-lawyer-censured_1531864697067_48862486_ver1.0.pdf, https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Local/2016/08/12/Court-of-Criminal-Appeals-grants-stay-of-appeal-for-Jenelle-Potter, Catfishing in Mountain City, TN: The Facebook Murders. Potter is serving two concurrent life sentences for the murders of the couple who were found in their Mountain City, Tennessee, home with single gunshot wounds to their faces. "We have been using NeighborhoodScout data from Location Inc. for over 5 years. Read more. After seven days of testimony, the jury found both Jenelle and Barbara guilty of first degree murder, and they were both sentenced to life in prison in July. He also said he never communicated by email with the women and hadnt seen Jenelle since high school. 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. Armed with evidence that he believed proved the entire family was involved, prosecutors also charged Barbara Potter and Jenelle Potter in the killings. Date(s) & Update Frequency: Low around 35F. Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Rice asked Barbara to confirm that her current attorney, Scott Schults, had performed his job to the best of his abilities, which she did. In a tiny town in Tennessee, a young couple are brutally shot, execution style in their home. The two were shot to death in their Mountain City home. Please subscribe to keep reading. Janelle kind of spurred it. Barbara Potter, 69, of Mountain City, has been serving two life sentences alongside her daughter, Jenelle Potter, 38, in the Jan. 31, 2012, shooting deaths of Billy Payne, 36, and Billie Jean Hayworth, 23. This equates to a rate of 3 per one thousand inhabitants. "Match Any Neighborhood" calculates the Match Level of one neighborhood to another using more than 200 characteristics of each neighborhood. You have permission to edit this article. Rental prices in Mountain City are 40% lower than the . Janie Hayworth, older sister to Billie Jean Hayworth, and Beverly Garland, mother of Payne, both said the loss of their loved one greatly affected their families, and their lives would never be the same. I think they would be called masterminds. 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. You have permission to edit this article. 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. At that point all you need to show is that conflict adversely affected your attorneys performance. He was tried in 2013, while his wife and daughter were tried together in 2015. Brig. In August 2013, authorities arrested Jenelle and Barbara for the murders of Payne and Hayworth. appearing in washington county court on wednesday, barbara potter, 69, pleaded guilty to two counts of . Their infant son was still cradled in his dead mother's arms. 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. Payne, 36, and Hayworth, 23, were killed about three years ago in their Mountain City home by Marvin Potter and Jamie Curd. Crime risk indices are nationally comparable on a 1 100 scale, where 100 means safer than 100% of U.S. neighborhoods. The 7-month-old boy survived unharmed. Raw crime incidents are sourced from all 18,000+ local law enforcement agencies municipal, county, transit, park, port, university, tribal and more, assigned to localities, then built into NeighborhoodScouts proprietary predictive models to provide a comprehensive crime risk profile for every neighborhood and address-vicinity in the U.S. More about NeighborhoodScouts crime data methodology, By sending this Report you agree to NeighborhoodScout's, My Chances of Becoming a Victim of a 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. US Highway 421 connects Mountain City to Bristol, Virginia in the northwest direction and to Boone, North Carolina in the southeast. The Rules of Professional Conduct impute the actions of non-lawyers to their attorney employers. Payne and Hayworth were shot inside their Johnson County home early that morning while Payne was getting ready for work. Jenelle Potter lived with her parents Barbara Potter and Marvin Potter, pictured together here. Maximum Access, Minimal Investment Pay As You Scout $29.99 per report Get Started Subscribe & Save FROM $39.99 per month See Pricing License Scout Data API Bulk Processing Flat File Explore Now Scout Before You Invest.
What Chakra Is Eucalyptus Good For,
Is Curtis Stone Affiliated With Jersey Mike's,
300 Aac Blackout Drum Magazine,
Articles M