DeKalb County is reeling from a homicide that occurred Thursday evening in Smithville, where a man has been charged with second-degree murder. William McKenzie, 66, stands accused of fatally shooting 39-year-old Earl Craig Asberry Jr. in an incident that has shocked the local community. According to WKRN, deputies responded to a call at McKenzie's residence and found Asberry's body in the yard.
McKenzie was quickly taken into custody, where he confessed to having intentionally fired a gun multiple times at Asberry, as detailed by the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office. WSMV reported that McKenzie also tried to hide the body and had plans to remove it from the scene. Authorities have set McKenzie's bond at $500,000, and he is expected to appear in General Session Court on September 12.
The case has drawn the attention of high-level law enforcement, with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation being summoned by the 13th Judicial District Attorney's Office. As the investigation continues, details about the motive and circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under examination, according to WJLE. DeKalb County Sheriff's Department has been tight-lipped, releasing limited information as witnessed in the reports mentioned earlier.
Chief Deputy Brian Williams said in a statement, "On Thursday, August 29 at 6:54 p.m. Central Dispatch received a call of a possible shooting at 163 Streamer Drive." He continued to detail how law enforcement arrived shortly after and discovered McKenzie and the deceased Asberry. McKenzie is charged under TCA 39-13-210 Second Degree Murder, as the investigation inches forward to uncover more in the days to come.
