Murderer Receives Life without Parole
Prosecutors in DA Charme Allen’s Major Crimes Unit obtained convictions against a murderer who killed his wife in front of her children. Horace Andrew Tyler Nuñez, 30, was convicted of First Degree Murder and four counts of Reckless Endangerment. At trial, the jury imposed a sentence of life without the possibility of parole on the murder count. At a sentencing hearing today, Judge Kyle Hixson imposed the maximum sentence of four years on the Reckless Endangerment counts.
In a four-day trial in August, Assistant District Attorneys Joanie Stewart and Sean Roberts explained to the jury that on January 31, 2021, Knoxville Police Department officers responded to a shooting in the parking lot of the Vistas apartments on Summit Hill Drive. Thanks to the help of bystanders who remained at the scene, officers learned that Nuñez shot his wife multiple times in front of the four children after an argument. Nuñez fled the scene with three of the children before dropping them off at his mother’s home. Nuñez continued to flee toward Kentucky, stopping in Rocky Top at a liquor store and Walmart to buy new clothing. KPD was able to forward Nuñez’s vehicle description to authorities in Kentucky. Officers with the Lexington Police Department located Nuñez and attempted to stop him, but he fled in his vehicle. The Kentucky State Police continued the pursuit until Nuñez crashed his vehicle and was apprehended.
“This case was possible because of the hard work and cooperation of many agencies both in Tennessee and Kentucky,” said DA Charme Allen.
Assistant Victim Witness Coordinators Veronica Fay and Kim Strike aided in the prosecution of this case. Additionally, agencies from multiple jurisdictions provided assistance in this prosecution including the Knoxville Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Knox County 911, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Knox County Regional Forensic Center, Rural Metro, Anderson County District Attorney General’s Office, Kentucky State Police, Lexington Police Department, and Franklin County, Kentucky, Commonwealth Attorney’s Office.
If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.