A months-long Knoxville homicide investigation ended Saturday night with the arrest of Randall Vaught, who has now been indicted on charges that include felony murder in the death of 60-year-old Brian Overby, according to city police.
Overby was assaulted in September 2025, taken to UT Medical Center, and later died, authorities say.
According to WVLT, Knoxville Police Department officers took Vaught into custody Saturday night in the 1400 block of North Broadway. The station reported that the arrest capped a months-long investigation by KPD’s Homicide Unit that led to the felony murder indictment. WVLT’s account offered only a brief rundown of the arrest and the charges.
A separate Knoxville Police Department news release lays out how the case started. Detectives opened the investigation after officers found Overby on September 7 with multiple injuries to his head and face at the Broadway Shopping Center. Investigators later determined that his death was the result of blunt force trauma that was likely caused by an assault, the department said. Overby was taken to UT Medical Center for treatment and died in early October. At the time, police urged anyone with information to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers.
What happens next
An indictment generally means a grand jury has reviewed evidence and returned formal charges, so the case now moves toward arraignment and pretrial hearings. Authorities have not publicly released a possible motive, a booking photo or a court date, the WVLT report says.
Prosecutors with the Knox County District Attorney’s Office will handle any charges that follow the indictment.
Legal note
Under Tennessee law, a killing that happens during certain underlying felonies can be prosecuted as first-degree murder. Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-202 defines first-degree murder and allows for the most severe penalties the state can impose. For deaths that occur during the listed felonies, the statute does not require proof of a specific intent to kill, a concept commonly known as the felony murder rule.
Community context
When the case was first opened in October, Knoxville police publicly appealed for tips and noted that Overby was believed to be experiencing homelessness, as reported in coverage of the homeless man's death at the time. KPD’s release also listed East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers at 865-215-7165 as the tip line for anyone with information about the assault.
