While it seemed that Jenelles social life was finally blooming, she was being relentlessly bullied online with anonymous comments appearing on her Facebook page. Curd took a plea deal of 25 years in prison. And when she would go out with her dad, he said they were watching them together, Barbara said. Mr. Fallin asserted at the post-conviction hearing that there were no conflicting interests between Petitioner and her husband, but the testimony of the other witnesses and the evidence presented at the two trials paint a far different picture. Barbara Potter, her husband Marvin Buddy Potter, and their daughter Jenelle Potter had all previously been convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder by Washington County juries. An agent meticulously reconstructed the shredded papers found in Marvin Potter's truck, pictured here, which appeared to be thousands of emails sent to the Potter family. I walked away from that (post-conviction) hearing myself having concerns about that representation.. Rental prices in Mountain City are 40% lower than the . I did that on purpose, Marvin testified about slitting Paynes throat in his confession at the post-conviction hearing. Now, two of the three parties serving two consecutive life sentences for the 2012 murders of Bill Payne and Billie Jean Hayworth are asking for a new ruling. This is important because the overall crime rate can be further illuminated by understanding if violent crime or property crimes (or both) are the major contributors to the general rate of crime in Mountain City. Jenelle Potter said her father became more protective with her because of the alleged threats she was receiving. Hayworth died while holding her 7-month-old baby boy. Choose wisely! Updated: Nov 11, 2021 / 06:49 PM EST WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) - Barbara Potter, the mother in a family trio all convicted of first-degree murder in the 2012 killing of a Mountain. Barbara and Jenelle Potter, who will be the subject of an ABC 20/20 segment later this year, continue to deny any involvement in the murders. 2021. Barbara Potters post-conviction attorney, Scott Shults, successfully argued that his clients trial attorney, Randy Fallin, was deficient in representing her because he also had represented Marvin Potter. And if I have to forgive any of youns to stay out of hell, Ill see you there, Garland said. You have to have hard, concrete facts in court, he added. 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The two men walked across a field in the dark, then Buddy Potter handed Curd a gun just before they went into the Payne home, but Curd said it was Buddy Potter who walked down the hallway and shot Payne, then Hayworth. The 60-year-old father is charged with two counts of first-degree murder for killing Billy Payne Jr. and his girlfriend, Billie Jean Hayworth. Their relationship went south when Hayworth began dating Payne, whom she allegedly knew Jenelle was pining for. All the trademarks displayed on this page are the property of Location, Inc. Marvin Potter finally, before his family and a judge, confessed fully to the 2012 murder of Bill Payne, one of the two first-degree murder convictions he is jailed on today. Jenelle Potters convictions were upheld in a separate opinion issued by Acree. I plead guilty, your honor, Barbara reportedly said. I think they would be called masterminds. Potter was once friendly with Payne in person, hanging out at barbecues and even going rappelling together. Property Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Listen to 39: Catfishing in Mountain City, TN: The Facebook Murders, an episode of Southern Fried True Crime, easily on Podbay - the best podcast player on the web. The couple was killed in their home on January 31, 2012. They unfriended me, Jenelle said. Because of what they were saying about my daughter.. Prosecutors believe Jenelle used the false identity to fool her parents and to goad Marvin into the killing. I just disliked them. And the worst part of it their 8-month-old baby was found still lying in the arms of his dead mother. They also discovered printed photos of the victim and her friends in the living room. Morefield reportedly told investigators that the shooting was in self-defense. If he had testified while his case was on appeal, that would have upset that process because at his wife and daughters post-conviction hearing, he did testify. Emailus. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Janelle kind of spurred it. Potter was found guilty in May of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder for the 2012 shooting deaths of Billie Jean Hayworth, 23, and Billy Payne, 36. Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. In a mystery that involved a supposed CIA agent, cyber bullying and a small Tennessee town, read below to see what led to the coldblooded murders. Because you are guilty? Rice asked. Street was pronounced dead at the scene, police report. Appearing in Washington County Court on Wednesday, Barbara Potter, 69, pleaded guilty to two counts of facilitation of . You have permission to edit this article. Yes, Barbara responded. I unfriended them. The murders happened in Mountain City, but the case is being tried in Jonesborough because of the pre-trial publicity that surrounded the so-called Facebook murders.. According to the most recent data from the FBI, the total crime rate in Mountain City is 988.1 per 100,000 people. I remember I wrote, Please do not write on Jenelles Facebook. I begged them. And I unfriended her.". Catfishing in Mountain City, TN: The Facebook Murders Southern Fried True Crime Podcast Episode 39 Description In a tiny town in Tennessee, a young couple are brutally shot, execution style in their home. It turned out there really was a person named Chris Chris Tjaden, a police officer in Delaware who attended high school with Jenelle Potter who prosecutors said Jenelle based her fictitious CIA friend on. Our nationally-comparable school ratings are covered under US Patent No. The murder occurred after months of allegations from Potters daughter, Jenelle Potter, and his wife, Barbara Potter, and a Facebook defriending. Jenelles sister Christie Groover, whos been estranged from the family for a decade, said Jenelle struggled to make friends growing up. Midway through her interview with "20/20," Jenelle Potter shut down in tears and walked out back to her cell. With no evidence or DNA left at the crime scene, police rely on the rumor mill and their instincts to try and identify suspects. This conflict, Petitioner asserts, denied her a fair trial and also constituted the ineffective assistance of counsel; B. Mr. Fallin rendered ineffective assistance of counsel at trial based on counsels other actions at trial and on appeal; C. The State withheld exculpatory evidence, in violation of its obligations under Brady v. Maryland, thus denying Petitioner due process and a fair trial.. Counsel made no such arguments despite the evidence which was available to support the arguments. Low 33F. Marvin Potter said he shot Payne accidentally, but intentionally slit the mans throat because of the threats Potter believed Payne had made toward Jenelle. Trial counsel H. Randolph Fallin operated under a conflict of interest resulting from his representing both Petitioner and her husband, Marvin Buddy Potter. Raw data sources: The book is written in the first person perspective and tells what led to the brutal murder. Mountain City real estate prices are 10% lower than the Tennessee average. The fourth defendant, Jamie Curd, described by prosecutors as Jenelles boyfriend, was also charged, but he worked out a plea agreement with the state in exchange for testifying against the Potter women. Crime, Popular Communities Near Mountain City TN. He also said he never communicated by email with the women and hadnt seen Jenelle since high school. At that point all you need to show is that conflict adversely affected your attorneys performance. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. Attorney Scott Shults, right, talks to his client, Barbara Potter on Wednesday, July 14. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Jerry Lambe is a journalist at Law&Crime. The search engine finds the neighborhoods that are the optimum fit to the set of criteria you choose. . Jenelle said one of her Facebook friends, Billie Jean Hayworth, was the one behind the attacks because Hayworth was jealous of her looks. He testified in the trial that some of the photos Jenelle and her mother emailed back and forth were from the public portion of his Facebook page, but most of them were not him at all. They also, in the same breath, would say how different she was, and then [she] became unable to make friends normally, Groover told 20/20.Social media became Jenelles life support, though she said her parents monitored her Facebook page. The day after the womens verdict was announced, Brooks said he tried to unwind, but the facts of the case stayed on his mind. Hayworth was dating Billy Payne, and the couple lived together with their infant son. "We have been using NeighborhoodScout data from Location Inc. for over 5 years. The shocking murder left 36-year-old Billy Clay Payne and 23-year-old Billie Jean Hayworth dead. ", Jenelle Potter said of communicating with the supposed CIA agent Chris through email, "I thought he was someone that I was friends with in school. Garland also had some harsh words for Barbara Potter, answering a question posed in one of Barbaras emails. It was higher than in 27.8% U.S. cities. A withh. The murders shocked the public conscious, leading cases to be moved out of the county because of pre-trial publicity, and were also the subject of a book penned Deputy District Attorney Dennis Brooks titled, Too Pretty to Live, the Catfishing Murders of East Tennessee.. In August 2013, authorities arrested Jenelle and Barbara for the murders of Payne and Hayworth. Yeah, youre going to hell. I didn't truly believe that Buddy Potter was capable of doing this, Lott said. I was horrible. While being questioned by detectives, Marvin said, Ever since all this crap started, Ive had my life threatened. She certainly could have. Every Town You've got a Facebook friend request - or conversely, your friend request has been accepted - and the thrill of having a new virtual friend that may open beautiful possibilities is undeniable. The Brady case determined that prosecutors are required to turn over any evidence that would be in favor of the defendant. Mountain City, TN Crime & Safety City Home Local News The Tomahawk Court dismisses first-degree murder case against Butler man A criminal case against David Lee Albright, 71, of Butler, was dismissed by First Judicial District Court Judge Lisa Nidiffer Rice on Friday, February 3, 2023. Billie Jean Hayworth was dating Billy Payne, and the couple lived together with their 7-month-old baby boy. Assistant District Attorney Dennis Brooks will officially release Too Pretty to Live: The Catfishing Murders of East Tennessee on Tuesday by Diversion Publishing. And we were trying to figure out who he was. According to a release from the. The Real 'Fatal Attraction' Killer - Jennifer Reali - Colorado Springs, CO. 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. In a tiny town in Tennessee, a young couple are brutally shot, execution style in their home. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Barbara Potter, 69, of Mountain City, has been serving two life sentences alongside her daughter, Jenelle Potter, 38, in the Jan. 31, 2012, shooting deaths of Billy Payne, 36, and Billie Jean Hayworth, 23. The jury reached a verdict of guilty on Friday, October 11, 2013 in the trial of Mavin Enoch Buddy Potter, Jr. who was charged with two counts of first degree murder in the deaths of Mountain City couple Bill Payne and Billie Jean Hayworth. Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. In the upcoming months, officials will decide whether the Potter women will receive a new trial, get a chance at an appeal, or be left to serve their sentences as planned. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. At that time, Reeces only statement was that he would not respond to the letter in question. Barbara could have argued that if her actions could have been construed as encouraging her husband to act, it resulted from her being duped or catfished.. I only have that book because of someone elses tragedy, Brooks said. 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The NeighborhoodScout search engine is covered under US Patents No. I already knew the story, he said. Appearing in Washington County Court on Wednesday, Barbara Potter, 69, pleaded guilty to two counts of facilitation of first-degree murder in the 2012 killings of Billy Payne and Billie Jean Hayworth, Johnson City Pressreported. But behind her parents backs, Jenelle and Curd would secretly spend time together. Everybody says she fell in love with Bill, but I still dont see that, said Greenwell. Acrees ruling, filed Wednesday in Washington County, stated that Fallins representation of both Marvin and Barbara Potter negated Barbara Potter of a fair trial. Mountain City crime rates are 69% lower than the Tennessee average. Check back later for full story on the hearing. Sinkhole opens up in Mall at Johnson City parking, Greeneville man describes moment US shot down balloon, From the Archives: Carter County, Roan Mountain floods, Join News Channel 11s 70th celebration in Elizabethton, Continents largest salamanders native to region, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Mountain City, TN - Unfriended Facebook Murders From Every Town 0 0 29 minutes Description You've got a Facebook friend request - or conversely, your friend request has been accepted - and the thrill of having a new virtual friend that may open beautiful possibilities is undeniable. Because Buddy did have some health issues.. Randy Fallin, defense attorney for Barbara Potter at her murder trial in 2020. I think they would be called masterminds, said Lott. The CIA agent warned the parents that surveillance of Payne and Hayworth revealed that the two of them were planning on harming Jenelle, that it was imminent, and that something needed to be done. rsorrell@bristolnews.com | 276-645-2531 | Twitter: @RSorrellBHC |Facebook.com/robertsorrelltn, EDITORS NOTE: Mack Crowder changed his plea to withhold of adjudication and served a period of probation, which ended in April 2018. There was a web of jealousy, allegations of threats from Hayworth and Payne toward Jenelle Potter, emails between them all and even an alleged bounty for Jenelles murder, JCP reported. There was controversy around how the Johnson County Sheriffs Office handled the murder case during the original investigation. Only a few . Reflects 2021 calendar year; released from FBI in Oct. 2022 (latest available). A Johnson County man pleaded guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder in a 2012 brutal double murder Tuesday and mother and daughter convicted in the crime will serve their two life sentences concurrently, a judge ruled Tuesday, giving the younger at least some chance of being paroled. By Becky Campbell A gruesome execution style double murder of a young couple shakes a small mountain community in Eastern Tennessee. Potter and Curd were arraigned Wednesday. A Johnson County man pleaded guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder in a brutal 2012 double murder Tuesday, and the mother and daughter convicted of the crimes will serve their two life sentences concurrently, a judge ruled, giving the younger woman at least some chance of being paroled. The 262-page book was written after the final verdicts were read in the case in Johnson County, Tennessee. Social media allowed Jenelle Potter to be someone that she wasnt She invented Chris. But when an online feud erupted, two of her former friends were found murdered in their home while their baby survived. a tennessee mother who was one of the three family members convicted in the so called "facebook murders" case rejected her chance at a new trial and reached a deal with prosecutors that will send her to prison for 25 years. After seven days of testimony, the jury found both Jenelle and Barbara guilty of first degree murder, and they were both sentenced to life in prison in July. Winds light and variable.. A clear sky. The release states officers found Teddy Allen Street lying on the roadway with a gunshot wound to the neck.. [The text messages were] very telling about Jenelle being involved in the preparation for the killing, prosecutor Dennis Brooks told 20/20.. According to a summary from the publisher, when Payne and Hayworth began their romance, they unknowingly set in motion a diabolical plot that would end with them murdered in their own home, Hayworth holding their infant, who was not harmed. She didnt have a job or drive a car. According to a release from the Mountain City Police Department, officers were called to the 300 block of Industrial Drive on November 14, 2020. They unfriended me," Jenelle said. The statement also said Buddy Potter was innocent and that it was Curd who planned and carried out the murders. "I love my daughter. The Rules of Professional Conduct impute the actions of non-lawyers to their attorney employers. Have a tip or story idea? Create a password that only you will remember. Assistant District Attorney Dennis Brooks said he will have to talk with District Attorney Ken Baldwin to determine the states next step, but appealing the ruling could be an issue. I didnt murder anyone, Jenelle, pictured in jail above, told 20/20., 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 8,376,755. Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. And on the Potters computer, police analysis found that hundreds of emails sent from the CIA agent Chris all came from the same IP address as the home where the Potters lived. The two became an item, with Jenelle hiding her relationship from her strict parents. Defense attorneys did not present any evidence, but argued that concurrent sentencing was warranted in the case. Now six years after the Potter women were convicted and five years after their original petition for a new trial, Marvin is speaking out. Later that week, authorities brought Curd in and asked him to take a polygraph test, which indicated he lied about knowing the identity of Payne and Hayworths killer. A week after the crime, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced the arrest of Marvin "Buddy" Potter (of no relation to the mayor) and his daughter's then-boyfriend, Jamie Lynn Curd. When the Potter women went on trial in 2015, Marvin Potters case was still on appeal. Potter had a crush on Payne and wanted him and Hayworth dead after they moved in together and had a child, according to prosecutors. He was tried in 2013, while his wife and daughter were tried together in 2015. Curd agreed to a plea deal of 25 years in prison. Copyright 2000-2023 Location Inc. Mr. Fallin made no effort to explain a potential conflict or obtain informed waivers from Barbara and Marvin. You can cancel at any time. It appears to this Court that Jessica Fallin exploited the lack of a written fee agreement between the Potters and Mr. Fallin, counsels lack of direct supervision over his daughters actions, and the Potters preoccupation with their legal issues to sell Potter family property (at least some of which was done in Mr. Fallins office) and otherwise appropriate Potter family finances to the tune of approximately $300,000 during the life of Mr. Fallins representation of the family. The prosecutor noted that the case is layered and the subjects are compelling. If you can show the attorney had a conflict of interest, then prejudice is presumed. The 38-year-old Curd reportedly had a romantic interest in Janelle Potter. The 2019 crime rate in Mountain City, TN is 69 (City-Data.com crime index), which is 3.9 times lower than the U.S. average. Burton girls; Twin Springs boys win 2nd straight region title, VHSL QUARTERFINALS: Floyd County (boys), Wise Central (girls), J.I. I didnt grow up here, Potter, 34, told 20/20. People here do not like outsiders.. Jamie Lynn Curd, 38, of 2358 Pleasant Valley Road, Mountain City, Tn., and Marvin "Buddy" Potter, Jr., 60, of 727 Hospital Road, Mountain City, Tn., were both charged overnight with two counts . Their infant son was still cradled in his dead mother's arms. ", Prosecutor Dennis Brooks told "20/20" that social media allowed Jenelle Potter to be someone that she wasn't. Chris promised that he would have their back if they acted to protect Jenelle. The business relationship imputed to Mr. Fallin by her daughters actions was adverse to Petitioner and therefore barred by the Rules of Professional Conduct. I dont want anybody murdered. Payne, 36, and Hayworth, 23, were killed about three years ago in their Mountain City home by Marvin Potter and Jamie Curd. You have permission to edit this article. Keep an eye out for more updates on the Facebook Murders. And they interviewed him for hours, Barbara told 20/20. When his oxygen gets low, he says things that dont make sense or are incorrect., Jenelle and Her Family Are Investigated for the Murders. However, Jessica Fallin, in addition to being counsels daughter, was her fathers employee. The case was a tangled web of jealousy, allegations of threats from Hayworth and Payne toward Jenelle Potter, emails between them all and even an alleged bounty for Jenelles murder. To have that opportunity was important to her. Jenelles Dad Admits to Being Involved in Murders. It took a lot of work to get here and I truly believe that she could have had a better outcome at trial. Jenelle Potter, pictured above, said she had trouble making friends when she moved to Mountain City, Tennessee, in 2005. Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood said the crime was the most bizarre thing hes seen in his career as a judge, but that concurrent sentences virtually guarantees the women will never be released. Police had a major breakthrough in their investigation of the murders after interviewing Potter's boyfriend, Jamie Curd, who admitted to being involved in the murders and told police that Jenelle Potters father, Marvin Potter, shot Hayworth and Payne to protect his daughter from what he perceived as an imminent threat? His wife told 20/20 he later worked with the CIA. The murder occurred after months of allegations from Potter's. The family patriarch, Marvin Potter, was already serving two consecutive life sentences after being convicted in October 2013 of the murders. The book discusses the police investigation that Brooks said made the crime even more interesting. Brooks believes Jenelle was pretending to be Chris. "I didn't murder anyone," Jenelle Potter told ABC News' "20/20. In a major breakthrough, Curd told detectives hed been texting with a man named Chris who told him he was in the CIA and that it was his job to protect Jenelle at all costs. He was a sports writer at the Johnson City Press and a stringer for the Bristol Herald Courier and Maryville Daily Times.