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Kingston courthouse shooting

murder in Kingston, Tennessee, US

The Kingston courthouse shooting was a fatal shooting that took place on August 9, , at the Roane County Courthouse in Kingston, Tennessee, United States. It resulted in the death of a Tennessee Department of Correction transport officer, and the wounding of another officer.

The perpetrator, Jennifer Forsyth Hyatte (born February 11, ), began shooting immediately after her husband, George, (born June 30, ) pleaded guilty to a robbery charge in the courthouse.

George and jennifer hyatt captured by grace Jennifer Forsyth Hyatte was a former nurse at a prison where George Hyatte had been an inmate. She had been fired after she was found sneaking food to George. The woman and her inmate husband, who had served two years of a 35 year sentence for aggravated robbery and aggravated assault, fled the scene in the vehicle but switched cars a short.

Jennifer Hyatte is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. George Hyatte pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the shooting in and was sentenced to life in prison as part of a plea bargain to avoid the death penalty.[1]

The shooting

At approximately &#;a.m., after a court hearing, Tennessee Department of Corrections transport officer Wayne "Cotton" Morgan was fatally shot three times by Jennifer Forsyth Hyatte, whose husband, George Hyatte, pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery.

Officer Morgan and his partner were loading prisoners into a transport van after a court appearance, when Jennifer Forsythe Hyatte drove up and opened fire with a handgun, striking Officer Morgan three times in the abdomen. Officer Morgan's partner returned fire as the escaping prisoner climbed inside his wife's vehicle. Jennifer Forsyth Hyatte was a former nurse at a prison where George Hyatte had been an inmate.

She had been fired after she was found sneaking food to George. The woman and her inmate husband, who had served two years of a 35 year sentence for aggravated robbery and aggravated assault, fled the scene in the vehicle but switched cars a short distance away.

George and jennifer hyatt captured by grace kelly While George was transferred, their relationship continued, and they married in May , just months before the shooting. Jennifer Hyatte, then 31, was the one with the gun in her hand, shooting at the officers. George then escaped, still shackled, and the couple took off in the car, later dumping it for another van.

On August 10, the Chevrolet Venture used was found in the parking lot of an Econo Lodge in Erlanger, Kentucky, but neither Hyatte was found. The same night the Hyattes were charged with first-degree murder.

Capture

On August 10, , around &#;p.m., the Hyattes were captured at an America's Best Value Inn located in Columbus, Ohio.

The couple was captured after a cab driver named Mike Wagers drove them from Erlanger, Kentucky, to a Best Value Inn.

Court proceedings

On September 17, , Jennifer Hyatte pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. According to the Tennessee Department of Corrections website, her TOMIS (Tennessee Offender Management Information System) number is , her imprisonment began on 10 August and she is incarcerated at the Tennessee Prison for Women in Nashville.

As a condition of the plea bargain which allowed her to avoid the death penalty, she agreed to testify against George Hyatte.[2] However her testimony was not required because subsequently, George Hyatte did not contest the charges made against him. On March 9, , he pleaded guilty to all charges, including the first-degree murder of Officer Wayne "Cotton" Morgan.

George and jennifer hyatt captured by grace jones

At approximately a.m., after a court hearing, Tennessee Department of Corrections transport officer Wayne "Cotton" Morgan was fatally shot three times by Jennifer Forsyth Hyatte, whose husband, George Hyatte, pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery.

As a result, George Hyatte was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.[3]

References

External links

  • . "Courthouse Shooting Leaves Officer Dead." CNN transcript, draft [?]. Tony Harris, host. , 9 Aug Accessed 30 May
  • Dill, Amanda, Producer.

    Jennifer hyatt tennessee After the shooting, the Hyattes fled to Columbus, Ohio, where they were captured two days later in a motel by a law enforcement team led by U.S. Marshals. Taking antibiotics and pain medication, Jennifer Hyatte wrote that she spent her days awaiting extradition "reading and eating and sleeping" when not thinking about George Hyatte.

    "National memorial adds Tennessee officers killed in line of duty," AP, , ?storyid=, 13 May , &#;PM. Accessed 30 May

  • Silence, Michael, "Breaking News: Courthouse Shooting," Knox News [online version of Knoxville News Sentinel] , 9 Aug , &#;AM. Accessed 30 May
  • State of Tennessee, Department of Corrections.

    News Release. "Inmate Escapes From Roane County Courthouse, Correctional Officer Fatally Wounded," 9 Aug Accessed 30 May

  • Fox News Capture Story
  • CNN Capture Story
  • MSNBC Coverage