Tennessee District Attorneys

10/28/2026

The truth is in the details.
From hundreds of hours of footage, to the critical details that can make or break a case, Nashville's Digital Evidence Team helps shine a light on details that may have otherwise been missed and helps prosecutors put the truth in front of a jury. This is one of their recent cases that started on Broadway.
See how they’re raising the standard for digital investigations here: https://www.tndagc.org/nashville-digital-evidence-team-leads/

10/28/2026

Congratulations to office of Blount County District Attorney General, Ryan Desmond, for securing justice for the Walland Family.

Man Convicted at Trial of Murder of Walland Family of Three

After a seven day jury trial, today Defendant Johnny Ray Wilburn was found guilty of 38 counts of criminal conduct for the murder of a Walland family of three.

Marty, Kay, and Cas Farley were found murdered in their Payne Hollow home, which had been burned to ground.

District Attorney General Ryan Desmond, along with Assistant District Attorneys Tyler Parks and Tegan Couch, led the prosecution on charges stemming from a January 2025 investigation by the Blount County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Divisions. Detective Sgt. Isaac Staley was the lead investigator.

A Blount County Jury sentenced Wilburn to Life Without the Possibility of Parole on the three murder charges. The Defendant will be sentenced on the remaining counts at a January 7th sentencing hearing. The jury also fined the defendant in the amount of $562,500.

10/27/2026

8th Judicial District Attorney General Jared Effler and his office have held their annual Clays 4 Children Sporting Clays Tournament for the past eleven years to raise money for the child advocacy centers of Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott, and Union counties.

These CACs are necessary to support vulnerable children. Services provided include forensic interviews, community resources, and a facility dog. All are meant to give each child what they need throughout the justice process.

10/22/2026

Behind the scenes of digital evidence. What's hidden in the data can change everything.
Every week, Nashville’s specialized Digital Evidence Team reviews 350+ hours of digital evidence, uncovering critical details that help strengthen cases and support victims on the path to justice. Go behind the scenes with one of the country’s rare specialized units and see how their work makes a difference:
https://www.tndagc.org/nashville-digital-evidence-team-leads/

10/20/2026

What an impact this will have. Congratulations to Jared Effler 8th District Attorney General, his entire staff, and the community who participated in raising $137,000 at this year’s Dixie Roofing Clays for Children Sporting Clays Tournament. These funds will ensure that Children’s Centers in the 8th Judicial District can continue to serve abused and neglected children, assist with medical examinations, forensic interviews, counseling, and court proceedings.

A RECORD YEAR!

11th ANNUAL DIXIE ROOFING CLAYS FOR CHILDREN SPORTING CLAYS TOURNAMENT
NETS $137,000 FOR LOCAL CHILDREN’S CENTERS

On Thursday, October 1 and Friday, October 2, 2026, District Attorney General Jared Effler and staff, in partnership with the Children’s Centers of the 8th Judicial District, hosted the Eleventh Annual Dixie Roofing Clays for Children Sporting Clays Tournament at Iron Mountain Sporting Clays in Kodak, Tennessee. The purpose of the event was to raise money to support the Children’s Centers of the 8th Judicial District, comprised of Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott, and Union counties. With 159 teams and 592 individual shooters participating, this year’s tournament was one of the largest such events in the nation!

The Children’s Centers of the 8th Judicial District serve hundreds of children each year and work closely with local law enforcement and the District Attorney General’s Office. They assist with medical examinations, forensic interviews, counseling, and court proceedings. The services the centers provide help to ensure that justice is served as well as help victims navigate the court system and receive the resources they need.

District Attorney General Jared Effler stated: “It takes an army of people to engineer an event of this magnitude. From the bottom of my heart, I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who made the 11th Annual Dixie Roofing Clays for Children Sporting Clays Tournament a tremendous success!”

The District Attorney General’s Office is pleased to announce that this year’s Dixie Roofing Clays for Children Sporting Clays Tournament netted $137,000! This money will ensure that our Children’s Centers can continue their worthy mission of serving abused and neglected children. We are already making plans for next year’s event and hope everyone can join us.

2026 Tournament results are as follows:
• THURSDAY 1st Flight
o Blue Course
 1st Place – Mountain Shadow Farms Team 1 – Participants: Doc Salmons, Ronny McDaniel, John Townsend, and Don Pucket
 2nd Place – Terry’s Pharmacy – Participants: Justin Wilson, Tommy Overton, Colby Partin, and Robby Allen
 Top Shooters: Cody Brown and Murphy Miller
o Red Course
 1st Place – Campbell Co. Fire Equipment – Participants: Ron Dilbeck, Donnie Adams, Tony Parkerson, Edgar Housley
 2nd Place – Mountain Shadow Farms Team 3 – Participants: Shane Richardson, Jeremy Ruth, Scott Whitehead, and David Brewer
 Top Shooter: Donnie Adams
• THURSDAY 2nd Flight
o Blue Course
 1st Place – Stowers Team 2 - Participants: David Towe, Dewayne Raines, Wayne Boles, and Chuck Hurst
 2nd Place – East Tennessee Machines – Participants: Chris Cooper, Richard Nelson, Edgar Housley and Kenny Powell
 Top Shooters: David Towe and Dewayne Raines
o Red Course
 1st Place – Stowers Team 1– Participants: Tony Parkerson, Ron Dilbeck, Kray Vincent and Donnie Adams
 2nd Place – Citizens Bank – Participants: Dennis Thomas, Mike Reynolds, Frank Moore, and Tyler Byrge
 Top Shooters: David Ogle, Tyler Byrge and Donnie Adams
• FRIDAY 1st Flight
o Blue Course
 1st Place – Rogers Group Team 1– Participants: Dusty Brown, Derek Drummonds, Paxton Drummonds, and Dan Blalock
 2nd Place –East TN Physical Therapy– Participants: Dewayne Corum, Dewayne Greenlee, Joe Schuler, and Charlie Sexton
 Top Shooter: Dan Blalock
o Red Course
 1st Place – We Press On– Participants: Don Raley, Hunter Raley, Joseph Frye and Wyatt Freels
 2nd Place – Highland Connections Team 2 – Participants: Jared Carson, Steve Garrett, Michael Purdue and Lance Williams
 Top Shooter: Wyatt Freels
o Green Course
 1st Place – Hudson Materials– Participants: Ron Dilbeck, Donnie Adams, Tony Parkerson, and Branden Thomas
 2nd Place – The Winners – Participants: Rusty Lowry, Logan Lowry, Greg Wyrick and Spencer Wyrick
 Top Shooter: Donnie Adams
• FRIDAY 2nd Flight
o Blue Course
 1st Place –Rogers Group Team 2– Participants: Dusty Brown, Derek Drummonds, Paxton Drummonds and Brandon White
 2nd Place – Blalock & Sons – Participants: Dan Blalock, Corey Summers, Wyatt Summers, and Sterling Phillips
 Top Shooter: Dusty Brown
o Red Course
 1st Place – Highway Markings Team 1– Participants: Ron Dilbeck, Donnie Adams, Larry Galyon, and Tony Parkerson
 2nd Place – First Century Bank Team 2 – Participants: Derek Jarrad, Chris Franklin, Blake Presley and Ashton ______
 Top Shooter: Donnie Adams
o Green Course
 1st Place – Trooper Kimbrough– Participants: Kevin Kimbrough, Mark Harkleroad, Colton Harkleroad, and Cash Harkleroad
 2nd Place – JBL – Participants: BJ Lewallen, Jared Burke, Jimmy Lowe, and Josh Royer
 Top Shooter: Wesley Myers
• FRIDAY 3rd Flight
o Blue Course
 1st Place – Sexton Design Concepts – Participants: John Capps, Ben Sexton, Cody D***s and Keith Copeland
 2nd Place – Topside Veterinarian Clinic – Participants: Jason Webb, Kelly Webb, Mason Brocking and Cory Summers
 Top Shooter: Cory Summers
o Red Course
 1st Place – Anchor Down– Participants: John Clark, Chris Luttrell, Brandon Parton and Spencer Anderson
 2nd Place – North Cumberland Realty – Participants: Michael Caudill, Joel Price, Derick Caylor and Ben Lowe
 Top Shooters: John Clark and Brandon Parton
o Green Course
 1st Place – Sevier County Road Department– Participants: Donnie Adams, Brandon Hedrick, Larry Galyon, and Paxton Drummond
 2nd Place – Landon Justice – Participants: Ron Dilbeck, Landon Justice, Matt Paul and Harold Ben
 Top Shooters: Donnie Adams and Paxton Drummond

10/19/2026

The TNDAGC announces support for Constitutional Amendment 1. Read full statement below:

The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference announced its strong support of Constitutional Amendment 1, which will appear on the November 3 general election ballot.

The proposed amendment would expand the authority of Tennessee judges to deny pretrial bail in cases involving certain serious criminal offenses, including second-degree murder, terrorism, aggravated r**e, aggravated r**e of a child, grave torture, and other offenses subject to Tennessee's 85-percent sentencing requirements.

Under the Tennessee Constitution's existing provisions, the right to bail is guaranteed in all criminal cases except capital offenses when the proof is evident or the presumption great. Amendment 1 would extend that exception to additional offenses while preserving the requirement that the evidence satisfy the same constitutional standard.

Stephen Crump, Executive Director of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, explained the prosecutors' position:

"Every day, Tennessee prosecutors confront the devastating consequences of violent crime. We work with families who have lost loved ones, children who have suffered unimaginable abuse, and victims whose lives have been permanently changed by criminal violence.

"We believe that protecting the public and ensuring the safety of crime victims must be central considerations in our criminal justice system. We support Constitutional Amendment 1 because it provides judges with additional authority to address those concerns in cases involving some of the most serious offenses under Tennessee law."

The amendment would not automatically deny bail to individuals charged with qualifying offenses. Instead, it would authorize judges to determine whether bail should be granted or denied when the required evidentiary standard is satisfied.

The proposal would also require judges and magistrates to place their reasons for granting or denying bail on the record, establishing an additional measure of transparency and accountability in these consequential decisions.

"The presumption of innocence remains a foundational principle of our justice system," Crump said. "But the presumption of innocence and the authority of a court to make appropriate pretrial detention decisions are not mutually exclusive. Our prosecutors believe judges should have the legal tools necessary to evaluate these serious cases and make decisions that account for public safety, the rights of the accused, and the interests of victims."

The Conference emphasized that the proposed amendment represents a significant change in Tennessee's constitutional framework governing pretrial release. Its members believe that the additional judicial discretion and requirement for on-the-record explanations would strengthen the state's ability to address public-safety concerns while maintaining judicial oversight.

"The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference stands strongly in support of Amendment 1," Crump concluded. "Our position reflects the experience of prosecutors who see firsthand the consequences of serious violent crime and who believe our courts should have the authority to make appropriate pretrial detention decisions in these cases."

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10/16/2026

That’s a wrap on our October Conference.

One week of learning, training and sharing ideas to better serve our communities while building fellowship with prosecutors from across Tennessee.

Thank you to all of our attendees for making this another great year!

10/02/2026

This week, the office of 8th District Attorney General Jared Effler held their 11th Annual Dixie Roofing Clays 4 Children Tournament, a fundraiser for their child advocacy centers.

This has become one of the largest benefit shoots in the entire country, and the money goes to support crucial operations that hold child abusers accountable. These services include forensic interviews, counseling, a facility dog, and more community resources.

Thank you to General Effler and his staff for their work to deliver the resources needed to serve children who have suffered abuse and neglect.

10/01/2026

The 9th Judicial District Child Support Office is back out in the community again, this time filling several blessing boxes throughout Roane County. They go above and beyond enforcement to help deliver essential support to families. Learn more about their continuous efforts here: https://www.tndagc.org/9th-judicial-district-child-support-gives-back/

09/25/2026

At the beginning and end of each day, Charvez Simmons would call his mother Carolyn to ask her how she was doing. Today, Charvez is no longer with us, but Carolyn wanted to share her story.

September 25th is the National Day of Remembrance for Homicide Victims. Thank you to their friends and families for preserving their legacies.

There are more stories like that of Charvez and Carolyn at tndagc.org/ndrhv-remembrance-wall.