The Metro Nashville Police Department is currently piecing together the circumstances that led to the tragic deaths of a couple in a suspected murder-suicide in Antioch. Identified by authorities, 53-year-old Eric Lebron Hale and his partner, 47-year-old Cheron Sanders, were found lifeless at a residence on the 2900 block of Baby Ruth Lane, reports detail from WSMV.
Issuing a statement on Friday, the MNPD outlined their preliminary findings, suggesting Hale fatally shot Sanders before turning the gun on himself. A family member stumbled upon the dreadful scene just before 6 p.m. after Sanders' son discovered them, as confirmed in reports obtained by NewsChannel 5. The couple was found in their bed with a pistol located at the scene.
A deeper look into the couple's past unveiled a turbulent history. Hale was charged with felony aggravated assault back in March 2024 following a domestic altercation where Sanders accused him of threatening behavior, which involved pulling her hair and holding a knife to her neck. Despite the severe nature of these allegations, the MNPD confirmed that the charge was dismissed in July of the same year, as per information from WKRN.
The investigation into this tragic event persists, with MNPD carefully examining the links betwixt Hale's prior assault charge and the couple's eventual demise. While the authorities continue to unravel the sequence of events leading to the couple's tragic end, details regarding the children who found their mother alongside Hale remain sparse, which comes from a late report by NewsChannel 5.
As the community grapples with the shock of this event, the MNPD is urging anyone with additional information to come forward to assist in the ongoing investigation of this domestic tragedy. They are determined to establish a full timeline of events that concluded with this fatal incident, extending a call for assistance in lighting the dim corridors of this domestic mystery.