Current:Home > InvestStar witness in Holly Bobo murder trial gets 19 years in federal prison in unrelated case-LoTradeCoin
Star witness in Holly Bobo murder trial gets 19 years in federal prison in unrelated case
View Date:2024-12-23 15:34:17
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee man who was granted his freedom after providing key trial testimony in the case of murdered nursing student Holly Bobo has been sentenced to 19 years in federal prison on unrelated federal weapons charges, authorities said Tuesday.
Jason Autry, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson in Jackson on Monday, according to court records and a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office.
Autry had pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a weapon and ammunition after he was arrested in December 2020 when he tried to run away from a sheriff’s deputy in a rural field, where the deputy found a Marlin rifle.
Autry has been convicted of more than 10 prior felonies in state and federal court. He was a star witness in the 2017 trial of Zachary Adams, who was found guilty of murder, especially aggravated kidnapping and aggravated rape of Bobo. Adams was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years.
Bobo was 20 when she vanished from her family’s home in rural Parsons in April 2011, prompting a large-scale search of woods, fields and farms. Her remains were found more than three years later, in September 2014, in woods not far from her home, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Nashville.
The search received national attention, with missing person flyers bearing Bobo’s face distributed in many states and national news outlets focusing on the case.
Autry received leniency and struck a deal with prosecutors in return for his calm, detailed and graphic testimony about Bobo’s kidnapping, rape and killing. Autry said he served as a lookout as Adams fatally shot Bobo under a bridge near a river.
Hardin County Judge C. Creed McGinley sentenced Autry to eight years in state prison after Autry pleaded guilty to solicitation to commit murder and facilitation of especially aggravated kidnapping in the Bobo case. Autry was arrested on the weapons charges just two months after he was released from custody in the Bobo case.
However, his testimony in the Bobo case is now in question after Zachary Adams filed a petition in January asking for his conviction to be overturned, citing statements from Autry that he is recanting what he said on the witness stand.
According to the petition, Autry is claiming he made up the story to avoid spending life in prison. The petition said Autry met with a forensic neuropsychologist in December and admitted that he made the story up after his lawyer told him before the 2017 trial that he was “95% certain of a conviction” of charges in the Bobo case.
Autry said he concocted the entire story in his jail cell before the trial while reviewing discovery evidence. Autry used extensive cellphone data to create a story, the petition says.
“He said he just recreated his day and ‘added Holly to it,’” the petition says.
Adams’ lawyer, Douglas Bates, argued in court June 14 that a hearing to discuss Autry’s recanting as new evidence should be granted. Prosecutors said Adams’ petition should be dismissed without an evidentiary hearing.
A judge’s decision is pending.
veryGood! (737)
Related
- Justice Department says jail conditions in Georgia’s Fulton County violate detainee rights
- The Challenge’s Nelson Thomas Gets Right Foot Amputated After Near-Fatal Car Crash
- Kylie Jenner reveals who impacted her style shift: 'The trends have changed'
- Appeal canceled, plea hearing set for Carlee Russell, woman who faked her own abduction
- Taylor Swift Politely Corrects Security’s Etiquette at Travis Kelce’s Chiefs Game
- NFL free agency 2024: Ranking best 50 players set to be free agents
- Vampire Diaries' Paul Wesley and Ines de Ramon Finalize Divorce Nearly 2 Years After Breakup
- Program that allows 30,000 migrants from 4 countries into the US each month upheld by judge
- Unexpected pairing: New documentary tells a heartwarming story between Vietnam enemies
- Which movie should win the best picture Oscar? Our movie experts battle it out
Ranking
- Ex-Marine misused a combat technique in fatal chokehold of NYC subway rider, trainer testifies
- A Guide to 2024 Oscar Nominee Robert De Niro's Big Family
- Duchess of Sussex, others on SXSW panel discuss issues affecting women and mothers
- Alaska whaling village teen pleads not guilty to 16 felony counts in shooting that left 2 dead
- Amazon Best Books of 2024 revealed: Top 10 span genres but all 'make you feel deeply'
- North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper rescinds 2021 executive order setting NIL guidelines in the state
- Man accused of firing gun from scaffolding during Jan. 6 Capitol riot arrested
- Program that allows 30,000 migrants from 4 countries into the US each month upheld by judge
Recommendation
-
John Krasinski Reveals Wife Emily Blunt's Hilarious Response to His Sexiest Man Alive Title
-
A dog on daylight saving time: 'I know when it's dinner time. Stop messing with me.'
-
Selena Gomez Reveals What She Loves Most About Boyfriend Benny Blanco
-
A dog on daylight saving time: 'I know when it's dinner time. Stop messing with me.'
-
Wheel of Fortune Contestant Goes Viral Over His Hilariously Wrong Answer
-
Government funding bill advances as Senate works to beat midnight shutdown deadline
-
'Queer Eye' star Tan France says he didn't get Bobby Berk 'fired' amid alleged show drama
-
Spring Ahead with Kate Spade Outlet’s Weekend Deals – $59 Crossbodies, $29 Wristlets & More