Church Hill Resident Charged with First-Degree Murder in Hawkins County Shooting

In a turn of events surrounding a fatal shooting in Hawkins County, a Church Hill resident has been formally charged with murder. Robert Preston Farley, 60, has been indicted for first-degree murder in the death of Steven Ray Ball, as per the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office, reports WVLT. The indictment yesterday followed the Nov. 7 incident where Ball, aged 55, was found on Christians Bend Road with multiple gunshot wounds.

Steven Ray Ball lost his life shortly after the shooting, according to the Hawkins County Sheriff's Office, and Farley now faces additional charges including unlawful possession of a firearm, destruction or tampering with evidence, and violations regarding firearm ammunition, as detailed in reports by WCYB. The conviction on these charges could indicate a confluence of unlawful possession and a lethal turn taking justice into one's own hands which, in the eyes of the law, solidify the essence of the first-degree murder charge.

Further adding to the legal woes of Farley, a Hawkins County grand jury returned indictments on several charges related to this fatal incident, as law enforcement concluded their investigation into the matter, this from information gathered by WBIR. In addition to the murder charge, Farley's indictment on the destruction or tampering with evidence suggests attempts to obscure the truth of that grim November day.

Currently housed in Hawkins County Jail, Farley's bond has been set at half a million dollars, and he is expected in court on February 13, 2026 for these charges.