Importantly, when you compare Mountain City to other communities of similar population, then Mountain City crime rate (violent and property crimes combined) is quite a bit higher than average. Curd received a 25-year sentence on facilitation to second-degree murder charge. All three Potters are serving two life sentences each for the murders. The two men walked across a field in the dark, then Buddy Potter handed Curd a gun just before they went into the Payne home, but Curd said it was Buddy Potter who walked down the hallway and shot Payne, then Hayworth. You have to have hard, concrete facts in court, he added. And, finally, they just pushed him to his limit where he couldn't take it anymore.. For more information about the book, visit www.diversionbooks.com. The cover of a book by Dennis Brooks entitle "Too Pretty to Live". I wanted [them] to quit. Jenelle said one of her Facebook friends, Billie Jean Hayworth, was the one behind the attacks because Hayworth was jealous of her looks. It took a lot of work to get here and I truly believe that she could have had a better outcome at trial. 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. For Jenelle Potter, she will be 86 years old when shes eligible for release. Mountain City, TN 37683 1,208 sq. If you can show the attorney had a conflict of interest, then prejudice is presumed. I did that on purpose, Marvin testified about slitting Paynes throat in his confession at the post-conviction hearing. I wanted the harassment to stop," Potter said. Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription. Because you are guilty? Rice asked. Barbara Mae Potter, 64, and her daughter, Jenelle Leigh Potter, 35, of Mountain City, were tried in May on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree murder. 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. When they impounded Marvin Potter's truck, police also found several plastic bags of shredded emails that an agent put back together. NeighborhoodScout provides exclusive crime risk analytics for every neighborhood in America with up to 98% predictive accuracy. The search engine finds the neighborhoods that are the optimum fit to the set of criteria you choose. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Barbara Potter, her husband Marvin Buddy Potter, and their daughter Jenelle Potter had all previously been convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder by Washington County juries. You can cancel at any time. Their infant son was still cradled in his dead mothers arms. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Curd's initial bond was raised to $1.5 million while Potter remains jailed on his initial $200,000 bond. But a feud on social media erupted and, eventually, they deleted each other as friends on Facebook. Further suggesting Mr. Fallin was more aware of his daughters activities than he insisted at the post-conviction hearing, Mr. Fallin filed a motion to quash a subpoena related to a criminal investigation of Jessica, perhaps ending any potential investigation into the Fallins involvement with the Potters finances. Because Buddy did have some health issues.. Story of Mountain City Facebook murders reaches national audience in book, tv special. Cost of living in Mountain City is 5% lower than the Tennessee average. Invalid password or account does not exist. 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. The Potter spouses ultimately did not have the same defense; Mr. Potters defense at his trial was that he did not commit the crime, but someone else did. Subscriber Verification(Must be Logged In Using Free Account). Jerry Lambe is a journalist at Law&Crime. He also pointed out that based on time served, she had already completed the 30-percent of her sentence required to be eligible for parole. Barbara got it to happen," agent Lott said. Prosecutor Brooks told the jury that Jenelle authored all the emails from Chris by pointing out the childish writing and misspellings matched her pattern of speech. Please subscribe to keep reading. 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. 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. He testified in the trial that some of the photos Jenelle and her mother emailed back and forth were from the public portion of his Facebook page, but most of them were not him at all. 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. A veteran of more than 100 jury trials, including 18 jury verdicts of first-degree murder, Brooks wrote when he was younger. Jenelle Potter was jealous of the couples relationship and created a CIA agent, named Chris, to get into touch with her parents, Brooks said. 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(renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Later that week, authorities brought Curd in and asked him to take a polygraph test, which indicated he lied about knowing the identity of Payne and Hayworths killer. Hayworth died while holding her 7-month-old baby boy. 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. Curd said as soon as he realized what was happening and saw the bodies, he ran out of the house and back to the truck. The statement also said Buddy Potter was innocent and that it was Curd who planned and carried out the murders. Jenelle spent time with Greenwell and her friends, including Greenwells brother Billy Payne. Curd agreed to a plea deal of 25 years in prison. Jenelle was accused of catfishing, or creating a fake social media account to convince her family that Payne and Hayworth were dangerous. When she invented Chris, she could assume a different identity and be as hateful as she wanted to be.". 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. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. "I love my daughter. 7,043,501 and 7,680,859. Allegedly, threats and bullying on Facebook and the Mountain City, TN Topix forum added fuel to the fire, which eventually led to an early morning visit to the house on James Davis Lane by Marvin Potter and Jenelles boyfriend, Jamie Curd. We won't share it with anyone else. The couple was killed in their home on January 31, 2012. A few months later, in October 2013, Marvin was found guilty for the murders and is currently serving two life sentences. The letter also included records of others seeking court-ordered protection from Jenelle because of the alleged harassment stretching back four years, claiming the victims should have been protected better. 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. Jenelle Potter's defense attorney Cameron Hyder said, "Jenelle Potter operates on the level of an 8- or 9-year-old.. In one of them, Barbara Potter was communicating with Chris and sounded like she wanted Payne and Hayworth dead. Morefield, 55, of Mountain City, has a bond set at $50,000. Greenwell introduced Jenelle to her cousin Jamie Curd, who is handy with computers. And I unfriended her., Jenelles Former Friends Are Found Murdered. And I unfriended her.". Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee's Adjutant General, confirmed the identities of two Tennessee Army National Guard pilots killed Wednesday af. When Brooks was through, Criminal Court Judge Lisa Rice reportedly asked Barbara if she agreed that what the prosecutor described would be the evidence presented against her in court if she were to be tried again. Payne, 36, and Hayworth, 23, were killed about three years ago in their Mountain City home by Marvin Potter and Jamie Curd. A feud erupted on social media with Curd, Paynes cousin, taking Jenelles side. Mr. Fallin was not granted power of attorney over the Potter family assets counsels daughter Jessica was. And the worst part of it their 8-month-old baby was found still lying in the arms of his dead mother. She did want to go in there and plead guilty, Schults told the paper. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. ", "[My mom and Chris] would write emails all the time back and forth, and she would tell me about him, she added. The two were shot to death in their Mountain City . The Rules of Professional Conduct impute the actions of non-lawyers to their attorney employers. The judge did not find any fault on the Brady issue, but he did grant relief on the first two issues. Mountain City, TN Crime & Safety City Home Local News The Tomahawk Court dismisses first-degree murder case against Butler man A criminal case against David Lee Albright, 71, of Butler, was dismissed by First Judicial District Court Judge Lisa Nidiffer Rice on Friday, February 3, 2023. Now, two of the three parties serving two consecutive life sentences for the 2012 murders of Bill Payne and Billie Jean Hayworth are asking for a new ruling. She could assume a different identity and be as hateful as she wanted to be, Brooks said. I changed my password lots of times. In August 2013, authorities arrested Jenelle and Barbara for the murders of Payne and Hayworth. Marvin Buddy Potter husband of Barbara and father to Jenelle was also convicted of the murders. Theyve threatened to take Jenelle, cut her head off.. A life sentence in Tennessee requires a inmate serve 51 years before being eligible for parole. But when an online feud erupted, two of her former friends were found murdered in their home while their baby survived. 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.
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