DA Seeks Assistance from Community after Murderer Sentenced to Life in Prison

Prosecutors in DA Charme Allen’s Major Crimes Unit obtained a murder conviction against a defendant who is also a person of interest in a separate but potentially related missing persons investigation. Jeremy Jerome Hardison, Alias, Big Country, 42, was convicted of First Degree Murder. Judge Scott Green sentenced Hardison to serve life in prison.

At trial, Assistant District Attorneys Hector Sanchez and Joanie Stewart explained to the jury that on September 24, 2017, Knoxville Police Department Investigator Allen Cook and other officers responded to the intersection of Selma Avenue and Ben Hur Avenue and found the victim deceased with a gunshot wound to the back. Officers collected ballistic evidence at the scene and spoke to eyewitnesses who were originally not forthcoming. Some of these witnesses were re-interviewed at a later date and identified Hardison as the shooter. KPD obtained a search warrant for Hardison’s residence where they found an AR-15 with rifling consistent with the ballistic evidence recovered at the scene.

Hardison is a person of interest in a separate but potentially related investigation involving the disappearance of three individuals in 2018: Bonnie Drane, William Inklebarger and Brenda Carroll. Drane, 47, was last seen on December 27, 2017, while visiting a family member at UT Hospital. She is described as a white female approximately 5’7″ and 140 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. Inklebarger, 42, was last seen on December 29, 2017, by his father at a motel room at 1500 N. Cherry Street. Inklebarger is described as a white male approximately 6’0″ and 150 pounds with black hair and hazel eyes. Carroll, 48, was last heard from on January 1, 2018, when she contacted her sister on Facebook messenger. She was believed to be in the company of both Drane and Inklebarger, with whom she had been living. She is described as a white female approximately 5’1″ and 140 pounds with hazel eyes and strawberry blond hair.

“We need help from the community to solve this case. Now that Hardison is serving life in prison, we hope that witnesses who may have been reluctant to come forward will now feel safe cooperating with law enforcement,” said DA Allen.”In this and every case, we need witnesses. As the number of homicides this year approaches an all-time high, we need assistance from the community so offenders can be held accountable and victims can find peace.”

If you have information about this case or any other homicides, please contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477, online at www.easttnvalleycrimestoppers.org, or via the P3 Tips mobile app.

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.