A withh. 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. [photo credit: YouTube] They have an 8-month-old baby, who was found unharmed in Hayworth's arms. This is possible by associating the 9.4 million reported crimes in the U.S, including over 2 million geocoded point locations. Courtesy Tate Davis Jenelle and Her Family Adjust to Life in Mountain City 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. The chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in Mountain City; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape or murder; is 1 in 306. Chief Deputy Woodard said investigators found an arsenal of weapons around the home though none matched the murder weapon. 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. A Crime That SHOCKED The Nation - Mary Holmes - Thatcher, AZ. Initially police were baffled by the crime, until they uncovered a web of lies and manipulation so bizarre it would catapult the small town into the national spotlight. 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. I already knew the story, he said. 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. Like her husband and daughter, Barbara was sentenced to serve life in prison. The 38-year-old Curd reportedly had a romantic interest in Janelle Potter. A gruesome execution style double murder of a young couple shakes a small mountain community in Eastern Tennessee. The couple defriended Jenelle Potter, prosecutors said, which may have been the ultimate action that led to the murder. However, Jessica Fallin, in addition to being counsels daughter, was her fathers employee. Show Every Town, Ep Mountain City, TN - Unfriended Facebook Murders - Oct 8, 2021 The Mountain City TN murder/homicide rate for 2015 was 0 per 100,000 population, a NAN% decline from 2014. Payne and Hayworth were shot inside their Johnson County home early that morning while Payne was getting ready for work. Jenelle Potter said her father became more protective with her because of the alleged threats she was receiving. This is about average for all cities and towns in America of all population sizes. I did not do that, Barbara said. ", "[My mom and Chris] would write emails all the time back and forth, and she would tell me about him, she added. Social media allowed Jenelle Potter to be someone that she wasnt She invented Chris. An agent meticulously reconstructed more than 100 pages of what appeared to be thousands of emails sent to the Potter family. Were guaranteed that in our Constitution, Shults said. Read more. Mountain City crime rates are 69% lower than the Tennessee average. But Jenelle Potter said Chris was using her email to protect his identity. 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. The two were shot to death in their Mountain City . Eventually both sides deleted each other as friends on Facebook. Shults, who represented Barbara Potter in this part of her appeal, said his client was entitled to due process and independent counsel for her trial. 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. Burton girls; Twin Springs boys win 2nd straight region title, VHSL QUARTERFINALS: Floyd County (boys), Wise Central (girls), J.I. Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription. Defense attorneys did not present any evidence, but argued that concurrent sentencing was warranted in the case. Jerry Lambe is a journalist at Law&Crime. Street was pronounced dead at the scene, police report. Morefield reportedly told investigators that the shooting was in self-defense. The family patriarch, Marvin Potter, is already serving two consecutive life sentences after being convicted in October 2013 of the murders. He entered that plea to facilitation to commit murder Tuesday prior to the Potter womens sentencing hearing. 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. Jenelle and Her Family Adjust to Life in Mountain City. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Jenelle Potter was jealous of the couples relationship and created a CIA agent, named Chris, to get into touch with her parents, Brooks said. 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. Keep an eye out for more updates on the Facebook Murders. At that point all you need to show is that conflict adversely affected your attorneys performance. Jenelle Potter had a love interest in Payne and apparently wasnt happy when he began dating Hayworth. She did want to go in there and plead guilty, Schults told the paper. Barbara got it to happen.. Brig. In one of them, Barbara Potter was communicating with Chris and sounded like she wanted Payne and Hayworth dead. The CIA agent warned the parents that surveillance of Payne and Hayworth revealed that the two of them were planning on harming Jenelle, that it was imminent, and that something needed to be done. The 262-page book was written after the final verdicts were read in the case in Johnson County, Tennessee. Billie Jean Hayworth was dating Billy Payne, and the couple lived together with their 7-month-old baby boy. The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Mountain City is 1 in 76. A week after the crime, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced the arrest of Marvin "Buddy" Potter (of no relation to the mayor) and his daughter's then-boyfriend, Jamie Lynn Curd. The statement also said Buddy Potter was innocent and that it was Curd who planned and carried out the murders. ", Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Robert Littleton was. The Potter women were not present when the couple was killed, but they were convicted under a law of criminal responsibility, meaning their actions led to the murders. Barbara Potters post-conviction attorney, Scott Shults, successfully argued that his clients trial attorney, Randy Fallin, was deficient in representing her because he also had represented Marvin Potter. 2021. After Marvin Potter, who is known as "Buddy," was arrested for the murders, he also told police his daughter's life was being threatened. Marvin Potter and Jamie Lynn Curd. The matriarch of a family trio convicted on two counts of first- degree murder in the so-called Facebook murders was granted a new trial after a judge ruled her trial attorney who also represented her husband at a previous trial had a conflict of interest by representing them both. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. The Real 'Fatal Attraction' Killer - Jennifer Reali - Colorado Springs, CO. Brooks believes Jenelle was pretending to be Chris. Facebook Murders revisited: I did that on purpose. Data for all 32,900 zip codes in one easy-to-use Excel file Mountain City, Tn Housing Market Highlights ECONOMY Violent Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents), Property Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents). Rice asked Barbara to confirm that her current attorney, Scott Schults, had performed his job to the best of his abilities, which she did. Considering this evidence, the Court concludes Mr. Fallin operated under a conflict of interest in representing both Barbara and Marvin Potter in this case.. Mountain City, TN: United States: Unemployment Rate: 5.3%: 5.5%: 6.0%: Recent Job Growth: 1.9%: 0.1 . 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. Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. His wife told 20/20 he later worked with the CIA. "I didn't murder anyone," Jenelle Potter told ABC News' "20/20. appearing in washington county court on wednesday, barbara potter, 69, pleaded guilty to two counts of . My dad even tried to meet him places, try to talk to him.. Rental prices in Mountain City are 40% lower than the . Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The shocking murder left 36-year-old Billy Clay Payne and 23-year-old Billie Jean Hayworth dead. The 7-month-old boy survived unharmed. Mountain City, TN - Unfriended Facebook Murders From Every Town 0 0 29 minutes Description You've got a Facebook friend request - or conversely, your friend request has been accepted - and the thrill of having a new virtual friend that may open beautiful possibilities is undeniable. 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. It appears to this Court that Jessica Fallin exploited the lack of a written fee agreement between the Potters and Mr. Fallin, counsels lack of direct supervision over his daughters actions, and the Potters preoccupation with their legal issues to sell Potter family property (at least some of which was done in Mr. Fallins office) and otherwise appropriate Potter family finances to the tune of approximately $300,000 during the life of Mr. Fallins representation of the family. Listen to Mountain City, TN - Unfriended Facebook Murders and seventy-seven more episodes by Every Town, free! She was feeding Barbaras delusions, so Barbara ignores the signs that something is amiss here., Jenelle and Her Mom Go on Trial for the Murders. Yeah, youre going to hell. 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. In August 2013, authorities arrested Jenelle and Barbara for the murders of Payne and Hayworth. — -- Jenelle Potter was a sheltered young woman. They also discovered printed photos of the victim and her friends in the living room. Curd received a 25-year sentence on facilitation to second-degree murder charge. [Jenelle said] she wished that Bill and Billie Jean and that damn baby would die. 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 post-conviction judge, William Acree, heard testimony for this appeal over a three-day period in July. In one incident, police photographed a rock, pictured above, that was found in the Potters front yard with the names Billy Payne and Billie Jean written on it. I plead guilty, your honor, Barbara reportedly said. He also said he never communicated by email with the women and hadnt seen Jenelle since high school. Property Albright was initially arrested on Friday, August 14, 2020, and charged with first . Download Historical Data Save as Image. Hayworth was dating Billy Payne, and the couple lived together with their infant son. Then, too, she wanted to make amends with what had happened. Note: Because the rates of crime are so low in America, we use "per . 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. Buddy and Jenelles convictions were both upheld on appeal. I thought lets see where this goes. I rekindled my love of writing.. While being questioned by detectives, Marvin said, Ever since all this crap started, Ive had my life threatened. 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. The case was dubbed the Facebook murders because Jenelle Potter was unfriended by Payne and Hayworth on the social media site. Wed have the right to appeal that, but if a judge sets forth sound legal reasoning, its hard to win an appeal, Brooks said. The case was a tangled 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. Payne, 36, and Hayworth, 23, were killed about three years ago in their Mountain City home by Marvin Potter and Jamie Curd. "I don't want anybody murdered. 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. Create a password that only you will remember. Agent Lott said, "Barbara would take this information and show it to Buddy: 'Buddy, look, look what they're trying to do to Jenelle.' Jenelles father, Marvin Potter, and her boyfriend, Curd, then broke into the home of Payne and Hayworth and murdered them. Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. High 57F. Please enter valid email address to continue. Burton (girls) triumph in triple-header at UVa-Wise, VHSL HOOPS: Eight state quarterfinals on tap tonight for local squads, Five new businesses set to come to The Pinnacle, Farmville native caught with 42 lbs of cocaine, $862K in drug money gets 17 years, VHSL HOOPS: Parker Bandy's emergence key for Honaker Tigers, In Tennessee, a Medicaid mix-up might land you on a most wanted list, Recent cases prompt authorities to warn parents of social media's risks, Alaskas Iditarod kicks off with ceremonial start, Global race is on to improve EV range in the cold, Dogs, mushers prep for Iditarod as PETA accuses racers of animal abuse. One day while picking up prescriptions, Jenelle befriended pharmacy clerk Tracy Greenwell. Winds light and variable.. Clear skies. I dont want anybody murdered. The CIA agent Chris had apparently been corresponding with Barbara and warning her about threats to her daughters life. "I did Bill first and then I think Billie did me. In a major breakthrough, Curd told detectives hed been texting with a man named Chris who told him he was in the CIA and that it was his job to protect Jenelle at all costs. Jenelle was accused of catfishing, or creating a fake social media account to convince her family that Payne and Hayworth were dangerous. NeighborhoodScout provides exclusive crime risk analytics for every neighborhood in America with up to 98% predictive accuracy. Updated annually. Only a few . 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. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. 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. "Match Any Neighborhood" calculates the Match Level of one neighborhood to another using more than 200 characteristics of each neighborhood. Relative to Tennessee, Mountain City has a crime rate that is higher than 58% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes. The release states officers found Teddy Allen Street lying on the roadway with a gunshot wound to the neck.. Discover your neighborhood's best match, anywhere. The fourth defendant, Jamie Curd, described by prosecutors as Jenelles boyfriend, was also charged but hes worked out a plea agreement with the state in exchange for testifying against the Potter women. It takes a cold-blooded person to shoot someone holding a baby, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Scott Lott told 20/20.. Low 33F. Based on FBI crime data, Mountain City is not one of the safest communities in America. He did different jobs. Jenelle Potter lived with her parents Barbara Potter and Marvin Potter, pictured together here. Curd, who was Payne's cousin, also told police that he'd been text-messaging a man named Chris, who told him he was in the CIA and said his job was to protect Jenelle Potter from her enemies at all costs. In May 2015, three and a half years after the shootings, Jenelle and Barbara finally went on trial. And, finally, they just pushed him to his limit where he couldn't take it anymore.. He was tried in 2013, while his wife and daughter were tried together in 2015. MOUNTAIN CITY Agents of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are investigating the circumstances leading to an officer-involved shooting that took place in Johnson County just after 7 p.m.. We won't share it with anyone else. Curd agreed to a plea deal of 25 years in prison. Because you are guilty? Rice asked. The book is written in the first person perspective and tells what led to the brutal murder. Yes, Barbara responded. 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. There was controversy around how the Johnson County Sheriffs Office handled the murder case during the original investigation. According to a summary from the publisher, when Payne and Hayworth began their romance, they unknowingly set in motion a diabolical plot that would end with them murdered in their own home, Hayworth holding their infant, who was not harmed. I unfriended them. It was higher than in 27.8% U.S. cities. "He was watching these people that he said were harassing her on the computer and calling her. Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription. When they took him, they took no oxygen. Authorities seized 51 items from the house, including their family computer. Barbara Potter is serving two concurrent life sentences for first degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, while Marvin Potter is also serving two consecutive life sentences after being convicted in October 2013 of the murders. 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. 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. Trial counsel H. Randolph Fallin operated under a conflict of interest resulting from his representing both Petitioner and her husband, Marvin Buddy Potter. 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. And we were trying to figure out who he was. Barbara got it to happen," agent Lott said. Chris promised that he would have their back if they acted to protect Jenelle. The Brady case determined that prosecutors are required to turn over any evidence that would be in favor of the defendant. He never testified. Mr. Fallin was not granted power of attorney over the Potter family assets counsels daughter Jessica was. Story of Mountain City Facebook murders reaches national audience in book, tv special. In this case, it is clear to this Court that Mr. Fallin operated under a conflict of interest based on his concurrent representation of both Petitioner and her husband. But behind her parents backs, Jenelle and Curd would secretly spend time together. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Please subscribe to keep reading.