The murder trial of Larry McBee has started. He is accused of fatally shooting 23-year-old Tristan Smith, a Rural King employee in Halls, Tennessee, on December 22, 2022. McBee faces second-degree murder charges. The incident reportedly began after an accusation of shoplifting at the store, as reported by WVLT.
On the second day of the trial, Deana Sims, McBee's neighbor, and Chris Chandler, a shopper at the store, gave testimony. Sims said McBee asked her if a photo in a WVLT story looked like him. She confirmed it, and "Sims claimed she told McBee it did, and he admitted to the shooting." Chandler saw McBee putting items into his bag before the confrontation. Investigators Tiffany Crawford and Eddie Wassman also testified, sharing that McBee's cellphone showed searches for Rural King, Knoxville police response times, and nearby gun shops. This helped establish the timeline and suggest premeditation, as stated by WATE.
In an important moment of the trial, surveillance video from the day of the shooting was shown. The footage showed McBee walking up to Smith and then running out of an emergency exit, with Smith chasing him. Shoppers saw this and law enforcement later reviewed the footage. This evidence is key for the jurors, who must decide if McBee is responsible for Smith's death. The trial will continue to reveal more details about the events, as detailed by WIVK.
