", "[My mom and Chris] would write emails all the time back and forth, and she would tell me about him, she added. Jenelle spent time with Greenwell and her friends, including Greenwells brother Billy Payne. There was a problem saving your notification. 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. 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. We won't share it with anyone else. 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. Updated: Nov 11, 2021 / 06:49 PM EST WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) - Barbara Potter, the mother in a family trio all convicted of first-degree murder in the 2012 killing of a Mountain. 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. Agent Lott then arranged for Marvin to call his wife Barbara. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Story of Mountain City Facebook murders reaches national audience in book, tv special. Curd was sentenced to 25 years in prison and will be eligible for parole after serving 30 percent. Methodology: 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. 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. Yes, Barbara responded. Note: Because the rates of crime are so low in America, we use "per . . 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. This equates to a rate of 3 per one thousand inhabitants. Relative to Tennessee, Mountain City has a crime rate that is higher than 58% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes. I already knew the story, he said. rsorrell@bristolnews.com | 276-645-2531 | Twitter: @RSorrellBHC |Facebook.com/robertsorrelltn, EDITORS NOTE: Mack Crowder changed his plea to withhold of adjudication and served a period of probation, which ended in April 2018. He said he couldnt use his real name, his real identity.. Jenelles Dad Admits to Being Involved in Murders. Brooks claims Marvins testimony is full of red flags that contradict the evidence. I only have that book because of someone elses tragedy, Brooks said. Because of what they were saying about my daughter.. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. The Mountain City TN murder/homicide rate for 2015 was 0 per 100,000 population, a NAN% decline from 2014. Winds light and variable. Their infant son was still cradled in his dead mother's arms. The two were shot to death in their Mountain City home. If you can show the attorney had a conflict of interest, then prejudice is presumed. Jenelles father, Marvin Potter, and her boyfriend, Curd, then broke into the home of Payne and Hayworth and murdered them. I did Bill first and then I think Billie did me. They unfriended me," Jenelle said. It is available as an e-edition book at all major online book retailers, as well as in print. Create a password that only you will remember. 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. Theyve threatened to take Jenelle, cut her head off.. He said he was down here to protect me, protect my parents. Furthermore, a conflict existed between counsels loyalties to Petitioner and her husband as clients and what can be described (for lack of a better phrase) as Mr. Fallins business relationship with the Potters. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. It takes a cold-blooded person to shoot someone holding a baby, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Scott Lott told 20/20.. Jenelle Potter had a love interest in Payne and apparently wasnt happy when he began dating Hayworth. Wed have the right to appeal that, but if a judge sets forth sound legal reasoning, its hard to win an appeal, Brooks said. If you can show trial counsel had a conflict of interest, then you didnt have independent representation. The day after the womens verdict was announced, Brooks said he tried to unwind, but the facts of the case stayed on his mind. Morefield reportedly told investigators that the shooting was in self-defense. The two were shot to death in their Mountain City . 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. 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. Although Brooks is excited to have completed and published a book, hes still a prosecutor. feet 1 baths - beds #4 Ivy Branch Mountain Rd Creston, NC 28615 - sq. The statement also said Buddy Potter was innocent and that it was Curd who planned and carried out the murders. They took no medication. Whats happening this weekend around the Tri-Cities? [photo credit: YouTube] 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. Jenelle said one of her Facebook friends, Billie Jean Hayworth, was the one behind the attacks because Hayworth was jealous of her looks. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. I just disliked them. Both parties lawyers claimed the information was paramount, considering the Potter womens charges are under Tennessee Code Annotated 39-11-402, criminal responsibility for the conduct of another. 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. 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. Jenelle Potter's defense attorney Cameron Hyder said, "Jenelle Potter operates on the level of an 8- or 9-year-old.. ", Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. While being questioned by detectives, Marvin said, Ever since all this crap started, Ive had my life threatened. Mountain City is located just a few miles from both the Virginia and North Carolina state lines. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. 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. 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. 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.. He testified at Barbara and Jenelles trial that Buddy Potter asked him for a favor, then cashed in on it the morning of the murders. Posing as Chris, Jenelle reportedly convinced Barbara that the CIA had sent an agent to Mountain City to protect Jenelle from Hayworth and Payne. Prosecutors believe Jenelle used the false identity to fool her parents and to goad Marvin into the killing. 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. Albright was initially arrested on Friday, August 14, 2020, and charged with first . Because Buddy did have some health issues.. "I did Bill first and then I think Billie did me. There were some discussions that he would testify at his wifes trial, but ultimately he did not. The Rules of Professional Conduct impute the actions of non-lawyers to their attorney employers. High 57F. Guilty verdicts were handed out for the Potters and Curd pleaded guilty. 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. Barbara and Jenelle Potter, who will be the subject of an ABC 20/20 segment later this year, continue to deny any involvement in the murders. 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. Marvin Potter and Jamie Lynn Curd. I've done everything. 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. While it seemed that Jenelles social life was finally blooming, she was being relentlessly bullied online with anonymous comments appearing on her Facebook page. Property Subscriber Verification(Must be Logged In Using Free Account). This is about average for all cities and towns in America of all population sizes. "Match Any Neighborhood" calculates the Match Level of one neighborhood to another using more than 200 characteristics of each neighborhood. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? "I didn't murder anyone," Jenelle Potter told ABC News' "20/20. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The Rules of Professional Conduct impute the actions of non-lawyers to their attorney employers. 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. While Marvin was being questioned, police executed a search warrant on the Potter house. You can cancel at any time. By being able to show conflict of interest, we were able to show ineffective assistance of counsel.. Potter and Curd were arraigned Wednesday. The jury reached a verdict of guilty on Friday, October 11, 2013 in the trial of Mavin Enoch Buddy Potter, Jr. who was charged with two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of Mountain City couple Bill Payne and Billie Jean Hayworth. Listen to Mountain City, TN - Unfriended Facebook Murders and seventy-seven more episodes by Every Town, free! 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. "I went through a lot with them, but I never wished them dead. 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.. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. First published on January 24, 2013 / 2:29 PM. Have a tip or story idea? Nothing ever showed up in my sent box," Jenelle Potter said. There was controversy around how the Johnson County Sheriffs Office handled the murder case during the original investigation. Mountain City crime rates are 58% lower than the national average Violent crimes in Mountain City are 47% lower than the national average In Mountain City you have a 1 in 102 chance of becoming a victim of crime Mountain City is safer than 62% of the cities in the United States Year over year crime in Mountain City has decreased by 32% The murder occurred after months of allegations from Potters daughter, Jenelle Potter, and his wife, Barbara Potter, and a Facebook defriending. 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. Please subscribe to keep reading. Potter was found guilty in May of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder for the 2012 shooting deaths of Billie Jean Hayworth, 23, and Billy Payne, 36. Randy Fallin, defense attorney for Barbara Potter at her murder trial in 2020. 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. He told Barbara, I did it. That's as close to a confession as we got from him, said Lott. "I didn't hate [Hayworth and Payne]. Agent Lott said, "Barbara would take this information and show it to Buddy: 'Buddy, look, look what they're trying to do to Jenelle.' 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. 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. I love my husband, but I would not sit here and lie for them," Barbara Potter said. According to the most recent data from the FBI, the total crime rate in Mountain City is 988.1 per 100,000 people. The prosecutor noted that the case is layered and the subjects are compelling. On Jan. 31, 2012, a friend found Billie Jean Hayworth and Billy Payne dead by single gunshots to their faces. Payne and Hayworth were shot inside their Johnson County home early that morning while Payne was getting ready for work. I did not do that," Barbara Potter told ABC News' "20/20. I wanted the harassment to stop," Potter said. The family patriarch, Marvin Potter, is already serving two consecutive life sentences after being convicted in October 2013 of the murders. Jenelle Potter lived with her parents Barbara Potter and Marvin Potter, pictured together here. Curd said Buddy picked him up and drove to a church parking lot near the Payne home. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. He never testified. No one wants to kill anyone but we will," Barbara Potter wrote in the email. I remember I wrote, Please do not write on Jenelles Facebook. I begged them. 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.. He had dogs. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. She was paranoid about it.. He also said he never communicated by email with the women and hadnt seen Jenelle since high school. It also gives the public a better understanding of how the criminal justice system works, Brooks said. Choose wisely! Listen to "39: Catfishing in Mountain City, TN: The Facebook Murders" on Spreaker. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. The 2019 Mountain City crime rate fell by 41% compared to 2018. 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. — -- Jenelle Potter was a sheltered young woman. Date(s) & Update Frequency: Instead of being herself, my parents tried to make her fit in. 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. Jenelle Potter, pictured above, said she had trouble making friends when she moved to Mountain City, Tennessee, in 2005. After Marvin Potter, who is known as "Buddy," was arrested for the murders, he also told police his daughter's life was being threatened. "I don't want anybody murdered. He was a sports writer at the Johnson City Press and a stringer for the Bristol Herald Courier and Maryville Daily Times. Tennessee National Guard names soldiers in fatal helicopter crash. She will eventually be coming up for parole. I didn't truly believe that Buddy Potter was capable of doing this, Lott said. Because we knew that they had trouble with [Hayworth and Payne], Woodard told 20/20.. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 1. Potter lived most of her adult life on social media. Reflects 2021 calendar year; released from FBI in Oct. 2022 (latest available). 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. Law enforcement officials have been involved in other incidents where Potter's daughter, Jenelle Potter, thought she had been slighted by someone. I did not do that, Barbara 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. He now says what triggered his actions was evidence presented by Curd that his daughter was being bullied. Billie Jean Hayworth and Billy Payne were found shot dead in their home. 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. The case was dubbed the Facebook murders because Jenelle Potter was unfriended by Payne and Hayworth on the social media site. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription. After combing through them, it appeared there was some type of conspiracy here. Cost of living in Mountain City is 5% lower than the Tennessee average. Discover your neighborhood's best match, anywhere. The book discusses the police investigation that Brooks said made the crime even more interesting. 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 think that we did it to each other. Counsel made no such arguments despite the evidence which was available to support the arguments. 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. 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. Based on FBI crime data, Mountain City is not one of the safest communities in America. The fourth defendant, Jamie Curd, described by prosecutors as Jenelles boyfriend, was also charged, but he worked out a plea agreement with the state in exchange for testifying against the Potter women. Hayworth was holding their young son, but he was not injured. Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Crime, Popular Communities Near Mountain City TN. When they took him, they took no oxygen. But Jenelle Potter said Chris was using her email to protect his identity. I unfriended them. feet - baths - beds #6 Osborne Road Lansing, NC 28643 Follow Becky Campbell @CampbellinCourt | Like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BeckyCampbellJCPress. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. feet 2 baths - beds #2 Old Us Highway 421 Zionville, NC 28698 1,344 sq. But Potter, who lived at home with her strict parents and spent most of her adult social life on social media, denies this. "I emailed him through my email, and I said, you know, 'How'd you get my screenname, password?' Armed with evidence that he believed proved the entire family was involved, prosecutors also charged Barbara Potter and Jenelle Potter in the killings. Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription. Its just not in her.. From time to time, Curd would visit the Potter house to fix the family computer. Social media allowed Jenelle Potter to be someone that she wasnt She invented Chris. And, finally, they just pushed him to his limit where he couldn't take it anymore.. The infamous double-murder was dubbed the Facebook murders after authorities said that the killings were, in part, due to an online feud that was motivated by jealousy and harassment. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. This is possible by associating the 9.4 million reported crimes in the U.S, including over 2 million geocoded point locations. Eventually both sides deleted each other as friends on Facebook. 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. Our nationwide meta-analysis overcomes the issues inherent in any crime database, including non-reporting and reporting errors. January 24, 2013 / 2:29 PM Read more. Please dont do this, Jenelles mom Barbara said. However, Jessica Fallin, in addition to being counsels daughter, was her fathers employee. When the Potter women went on trial in 2015, Marvin Potters case was still on appeal. You have permission to edit this article. He survived unharmed, though he was found covered in blood. Data Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation - Crime in the U.S. MLA Citation: Other Cities in TN; City Name Population Rate; Ridgely: 1,662: 60.17: Bean Station: 3,094: 32.32: Savannah: 6,968: 28.70: We won't share it with anyone else. I thought lets see where this goes. I rekindled my love of writing.. He entered that plea to facilitation to commit murder Tuesday prior to the Potter womens sentencing hearing. But from Barbaras perspective, shed already had that trial one time. The day after the murders, Chief Deputy Joe Woodard of the Johnson County Sheriffs Department, talked to Jenelle, Barbara and Marvin at their home, which they recorded. Emailus. 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. 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. She did want to go in there and plead guilty, Schults told the paper. 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. With no evidence or DNA left at the crime scene, police rely on the rumor mill and their instincts to try and identify suspects. All three convictions will be appealed, according to their attorneys Randy Fallin and David Robbins for Buddy Potter, Randy Fallin and Tate Davis for Barbara Potter and Cameron Hyder for Jenelle Potter. Garland also had some harsh words for Barbara Potter, answering a question posed in one of Barbaras emails. Police had a major breakthrough in their investigation of the murders after interviewing Potter's boyfriend, Jamie Curd, who admitted to being involved in the murders and told police that Jenelle Potters father, Marvin Potter, shot Hayworth and Payne to protect his daughter from what he perceived as an imminent threat? 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. Winds light and variable.. A clear sky. Winds light and variable. According to a release from the Mountain City Police Department, officers were called to the 300 block of Industrial Drive on November 14, 2020. 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. 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