News & Media Releases
Chestnut Guilty of Murder & Animal Cruelty
A Macon County jury deliberated almost two and a half hours last Thursday, June 8, before finding 57-year-old Joseph Eugene Chestnut, Jr., of Red Boiling Springs, guilty of first degree murder, intentional & premeditated, and four counts of aggravated animal...
DA Lawson wins state award
Local District Attorney Jason Lawson has received top recognition by his peers for his work in the area of child support collection. At the annual statewide meeting of District Attorneys last Thursday, Lawson was named the 2023 winner of the Paul...
WILSON COUNTY MAN SENTENCED TO 475 YEARS
A Wilson County man has been sentenced to 475 years in the Department of Correction for various crimes of child abuse and child sexual abuse. Brian Gadbois was convicted by a Wilson County jury in July of 2022 for ten counts of rape of a child, seven counts of...
Jury convicts man in death of infant
A Wilson County jury took just over two hours to find a man guilty for the death of his infant daughter. Jesse Craddock, 40, was convicted of first-degree murder at the conclusion of a three-and-a-half-day trial for causing the death of the child due to severe neglect...
LANKFORD JOINS CARTHAGE DA OFFICE
A familiar face has been the latest addition to the local District Attorney’s Office. Kendra Lankford of South Carthage has accepted a position in the criminal division of the Carthage office. Lankford is a life-long resident of Smith County where she will now work to...
Macken sentenced to 20 years
A Jackson County man has been sentenced to serve 20 years in the department of corrections for a rape involving injury. Jay Macken was convicted in April by a Jackson County jury of the crimes of Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Rape, Aggravated Domestic Assault, and...
McDonald Found Guilt of First Degree Murder
It took a Smith County jury just over five and a half hours on Saturday to return verdicts of guilty for a man responsible for the death of a South Carthage resident in April of 2019. Kenneth McDonald was found guilty of two counts of First Degree Murder for the death...
NEW DA SHAPES CRIMINAL LAW
In the first legislative session since being elected District Attorney, Jason Lawson is making an impact beyond the courtroom. DA Lawson wrote two pieces of legislation to change the criminal laws that have been adopted by the General Assembly and were recently signed...
SCAMSTOP! D.A. and Sheriff’s Office Team Up to Prevent Scams Through Media and Magnets
In a joint effort with the Wilson County Sheriff’s Department SCAN (Senior Citizens Awareness Network), today District Attorney General Jason Lawson announced a new initiative to help protect seniors and other members of the public from the most rapidly growing crime...