The case against Carrie Matthews, the girlfriend of suspect Kenneth Wayne DeHart Jr., has been ramped up after she waived her preliminary hearing on Friday. Matthews has been accused of aiding DeHart to escape law enforcement after he allegedly shot and killed Blount County Deputy Greg McCowan and wounded another deputy during a traffic stop on the night of Feb. 8, as reported by WBIR.
Authorities assert that Matthews tipped off DeHart, her boyfriend, via a phone call about police presence at her home on the evening of the shooting. Her arrest warrant reveals she pretended to converse with "Janeisha" when in actuality, it was DeHart on the line. Matthews's reportedly uttered "they're here" before abruptly ending the call. Her case will now move to a Sevier County grand jury, to decide if she will face trial, and she’s been scheduled for arraignment on May 13. Matthews was released last month after posting a $350,000 bond.
In a parallel development, her boyfriend, DeHart, has been charged with multiple offenses, including first-degree murder, and his case is bound for a Blount County grand jury. WATE details the court session where the public defender for DeHart was denied a motion for more time to secure alternate representation. Meanwhile, Deputy Shelby Eggers gave testimony concerning the fatal traffic stop.
During Tuesday’s preliminary hearing, Blount County District Attorney General Ryan Desmond put forth a staunch justification for seeking premeditated first-degree murder charges against DeHart. In a statement obtained by WBIR, Desmond said, "I made a tally as I was watching this video, and I counted 37 times they either asked lawfully or told lawfully for the defendant to exit the vehicle," and concluded that DeHart's actions illustrated a clear intent to kill. The defense disagreed with the premeditation claim, advocating for second-degree murder considerations instead. The grand jury is scheduled to review the case on April 5.
