911, what’s your emergency? Yes. I need Decatur
County 911. This is them. What’s wrong, dear? 681 Swan Johnson Road. Somebody has my daughter. Somebody
in full camouflage got Holly. They grabbed her and took her to the woods. Please, get everybody out there!
Holly, I love you so much. Please try to get home to us. The rural town of Decatur County, Tennessee, had
a population that barely reached 2500, and the landscape was dominated by woods and farms. It was here
that Holly Bobo, a 20-year-ol
d nursing student, was raised. Holly was the daughter of Karen and Dana
Bobo, and she had an older brother named Clint, who was five years her senior. Karen, Holly's mother,
worked as a teacher at Scotts Hill Elementary School. The family had a musical connection through
Holly's cousin, country singer Whitney Duncan. Holly was also a singer herself. Raised in a Christian
household, Holly was close to her mother. Despite her initial shyness, those who knew her beyond the
surface found a funny
and vibrant personality. In addition to her family ties, Holly had a boyfriend
named Drew Scott, who was planning a future with her. Drew had given her a promise ring, symbolizing
their commitment to each other. Holly was pursuing her nursing studies at the University of Tennessee,
eager to start a career in healthcare. The small town life seemed serene, and Holly's aspirations
for the future were centered around building a life with Drew and making a difference as a nurse.
On the fateful m
orning of April 13th, 2011, Holly's day began early. She was already up at 4:30 AM,
hitting the books in preparation for an 8 AM exam. Karen, her mother, had packed a lunch
for her before heading to work. She was sitting at the kitchen table, studying, and I kissed her
goodbye and told her I loved her, just like every other morning. At 7:30 AM, her boyfriend, Drew, called
her cellphone. He was out turkey hunting on Holly’s grandmother’s land. After the brief
conversation, Holly gathered her
belongings and made her way to the attached carport, ready to head to
school. Around 7:45 AM, James Barnes, a neighbor, couldn't ignore the sounds of an argument next
door. He heard a woman’s voice shouting at someone to stop. Intrigued and concerned, James peered
into the woods, but the source of the commotion remained hidden. The next chilling sound he heard
were screams that sent shivers down his spine. Troubled by what he had heard, James promptly
called his mother while driving to wor
k, urging her to inform Karen about the disturbing noise
he had overheard in their house. Meanwhile, the family dog's persistent barking roused Holly's brother,
Clint, from his sleep. He checked what was happening and was met with unfamiliar voices filled with
tension. As he raised the blinds of the window, he saw two figures on the carport, both kneeling
near the garage, engaged in what seemed like a heated exchange. He recognized that one of the
figures was Holly’s and assumed the other w
as her boyfriend, Drew. The man wore a camouflage outfit,
a detail that led Clint to believe it was Drew. They had spoken the night before, and Clint knew
Drew was heading out for turkey hunting that very morning. Confused, Clint hesitated to intervene in
a potential argument between the two. He had just awakened and was uncertain of the situation, so
he attempted to reach his mom instead to ask if Holly didn’t have school. However, the calls went
unanswered, so he left a text message, hopin
g that she would call back. Meanwhile, James' mother
relayed the details to Karen, and the concerned woman immediately called home. Clint answered,
seeking clarification on Holly's school plans since she was out there with Drew. It was the
moment Karen realized that something was amiss. I don’t know what made me say it. I just, this instant,
panic came over me, and I said, ‘That’s not Drew. Call all the neighbors,’ I think is what I said. And
then I ran over to the office and I called 911.
I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I remember
they said it was Henderson County, and we live in Decatur County, so I think I fell on the floor at that point.
And I guess I called Clint, but I don’t really remember now if it was from the library phone
or the office phone, and he was still talking about, ‘Was Holly not going to school today? Was she
turkey-hunting with Drew? And I said, ‘That’s not Drew. And at some point I said, Get a gun and shoot him.’
Clint was confused and asked his
mother if she wanted him to shoot Drew. However, Karen
hung up the phone. Her son then went to the back door and observed Holly and the man walking
towards the woods. Holly wasn't being dragged and walked of her own accord. Responding to
his mother's plea, Clint retrieved a gun and stepped outside through an open garage, where he saw
a puddle of blood near Holly's car. Fueled by concern, he dialed 9-1-1. Simultaneously, Karen
made her own distress call to emergency services. She headed hom
e with a friend driving her because she
was panicking. By 8:10 AM, authorities had arrived, followed by Karen. In a desperate attempt to locate
her daughter, Karen went into the woods, calling out Holly's name. Dana went home shortly after to find
the property swarming with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation or TBI, along with the FBI, SWAT,
and US Marshals. The scene, however, seemed chaotic and disjointed, with people standing idly, seemingly
unsure of what steps to take. Growing impat
ient, Dana implored the authorities to act swiftly,
urging them to bring Holly back. With suspicion looming over someone who possibly knew Holly,
her routine, and the surroundings, Dana grappled with the thought that the abductor might’ve been
acquainted with his daughter. The investigators later confirmed that the bloodstain in the garage
was indeed Holly's. This confirmed that the woman was in danger, so the entire community of Decatur
County rallied together to find her. Authorities, sear
ch dogs, helicopters, and thousands of volunteers
combed through the area day after day, hoping for any sign of the missing woman. The police
also reached out to AT&T to trace Holly's cell phone. They tracked the ping and found that her
phone had traversed Decatur County, heading north towards a wooded area near Interstate 40 before
taking a southern route by another path. The cellphone's movement stopped at around 8:30 to 9:00 AM on
Gooch Road. The police soon looked at the possibility tha
t the suspect might be inside the
house, leading Clint to find himself under scrutiny. Authorities sought to eliminate any doubts. They
investigated him right away, finding possible scratches on his body. His computer was searched,
his cell phone monitored, and he underwent polygraph tests twice. Eventually, he was cleared of
any involvement in his sister’s disappearance.The days and weeks after the abduction revealed a trail
of evidence along country roads. Holly's belongings were scattere
d at random, including her homework,
notebook, cellphone, and the lunch her mother had prepared for her that morning. A week had
passed since Holly's abduction, and the community gathered for a solemn vigil, holding onto hope
and praying for her safe return. In the face of uncertainty, Decatur County clung to the unity that
defined small-town communities, determined to bring Holly home. When Holly was at home, she’d be
asleep. Her hand would be folded like this and I would just slip my hand
in her hand,
for just a few seconds. And I remember doing that after, trying to feel her. Thinking if I could just feel
her hand in my hand. As weeks passed, the names Zach Adams, his brother, Dylan, cousin, Jason Autry,
and friend, Shayne Austin, became focal points in the investigation surrounding Holly's abduction. These
men were known in the community as delinquents and had a notorious reputation for their involvement
with illicit substances. Of the group, Zach Adams stood out on the p
olice radar. He had a long
list of criminal history, including arrests for illegal substance-related crimes, robbery,
and assault. He had even shot his own mother in the knee in 2004 and, in 2005, threatened to kill
his grandparents. The police were aware of Zach's troubled past, so they decided to pay a visit to
his home. Despite the suspicions surrounding him, Zach vehemently denied any involvement in Holly's
disappearance. He provided an alibi, claiming he was at home with his girlfriend
, Rebecca Earp,
and his brother, Dylan, on the morning Holly went missing. There wasn't enough evidence
to warrant an arrest, so the police let him go. The authorities shifted their focus to another figure
in Decatur County – Terry Britt, a registered offender who lived close to Holly’s home. Britt had spent
a significant portion of his life in prison for kidnapping and engaging in criminal conduct. He was
known for a history of targeting young, blue-eyed, blonde women – someone like Holly.
His residence
in Northern Decatur County coincided with the general direction of Holly's phone on the day
she vanished. When the police knocked on Britt's door, his immediate response was a preemptive
denial. Even before the officers uttered a word, he proclaimed his innocence, asserting that he
hadn't taken advantage of anyone. This reaction was prompted by the news of Holly's disappearance
that had spread through the community. Britt's alibi claimed that he was buying a bathtub with
his
wife at the salvage yard. However, the store had no record of such a sale. Authorities had growing
suspicions and obtained a search warrant. Cadaver dogs were brought in to scour his property. The
dogs signaled potential traces in two of Britt's vehicles and various tools around his house.
Despite seizing these items for DNA testing, no conclusive evidence surfaced. To dig deeper,
law enforcement resorted to wiretapping Britt's phone and bugging his house, hoping to catch
any incriminating
conversations. However, the surveillance efforts yielded no breakthroughs,
leaving many questioning whether Britt should be absolved of suspicion. However, a recording
of a conversation by Britt and TBI agent Terry Dicus came up, in which the suspect appeared to
indulge in unsettling fantasies about Holly's kidnapping. She’s young, pretty, perfect, somewhat,
body. Like a toy, he can’t wait to get her to wherever he’s gonna take her to because
he’s wanting that body. But here comes the reality
. Now, I’ve got a body. What am I gonna do with it?
If you keep it, you got to feed it, you got to hide it. And if you kill, what are you gonna do with it?
Despite this disturbing content, Britt maintained his innocence, and investigators struggled to find
substantial evidence linking him to Holly's disappearance. Later, a handwritten receipt for
the bathtub was discovered in Britt's safe. With the case at an impasse, investigators decided
to move away from Terry Britt. For three years, the
investigation seemed to stall until a significant
development unfolded in February 2014. Zach Adams, one of the four men initially questioned about
Holly’s disappearance, found himself in trouble again. This time, he faced charges of robbery and
threatening his girlfriend's sister at gunpoint. Zach was incarcerated for these charges. During
his imprisonment, his brother, Dylan, faced legal issues of his own for stealing firearms. Dylan had
a learning disability and a below-average IQ. His g
randfather noted that he often muddled facts
in stories. Despite this, authorities deemed him self-sufficient enough, as he managed to get a
driver's license. Dylan eventually secured release for the gun charges through a plea deal.
The condition stipulated that he would live with a retired police officer, who happened to be a friend
of the Bobo family. Five weeks after Dylan moved in with the retired police officer, a call to
emergency services brought a new revelation into the already comp
lex case. Dylan claimed to
possess information about Holly's fate. According to his account, he had seen Holly on the morning
of April 13th in Zach's living room, seated on a green chair, wearing a pink shirt. In the room
were two others: his cousin, Jason, and their friend, Shayne. Dylan further alleged that these
men had taken advantage of Holly, even going so far as to videotape the disturbing acts. Over three
years, Zach had consistently made unsettling jokes about Holly's disappearance
, confidently asserting
that the police would never find her. Reports even surfaced that he boasted about exploiting Holly.
He claimed to have recorded himself engaging in reprehensible acts with her, which was in line with
Dylan’s testimony. However, the alleged videotape remained elusive to law enforcement. Zach even
used Holly's name as a threat against his ex-girlfriend. He said he would tie me up just like he did
Holly Bobo and nobody would ever see me again. While the purported videot
ape was never located,
and Dylan's initial confession was later recanted amid allegations of coercion, these statements
led to the arrests of Dylan, Zach, Jason, and Shayne. It was later revealed that both Zach and Jason had
been students of Karen, Holly's mother, during their grade school years. On April 30, 2014, Shayne was
granted immunity in exchange for his cooperation. However, just three weeks later, this immunity was
revoked due to allegations that he had ceased to cooperate. Five m
onths later, on September 13th, 2014,
a local man named Larry Stone made a grim discovery while hunting for Ginseng in the woods. Unearthed
were a human skull and a bucket containing human bones. The skull bore a bullet hole, the trajectory
piercing from the back through the left cheekbone. These remains were confirmed to be of Holly Bobo’s.
Alongside the skeletal evidence, personal items like purses, lipstick, pens, and even Holly's
inhaler were found. I just wanna say to the Bobo’s that I
’m sorry for the loss, that all got shattered because of these
men. During the trial, the emotional toll on Holly's family was evident when Karen passed
out upon seeing the recovered belongings. As As the investigation pressed on, Shayne, one of
the suspects, was found dead in a hotel room in February 2015, having taken his own life. The
three remaining suspects – Zach, Dylan, and Jason spent three more years in legal battles, pleading
not guilty to charges of kidnapping, criminal physical
conduct, and murder in connection with
Holly's case. Throughout this period, investigators relentlessly pursued confessions from any of the
accused. In 2017, after years of maintaining his innocence, Jason struck a deal with prosecutors. He
agreed to accept an 8-year sentence for charges of aggravated kidnapping and solicitation
to commit murder in exchange for testifying against the other suspects at the trial set for
September 2017. In his testimony, Jason presented an account that was di
fferent from Dylan's earlier
statements. According to Jason, he went to Shayne's house believing they would be making illicit
substances, only to find that Zach, Dylan, and Shayne had already kidnapped and attacked Holly.
Jason claimed to have witnessed Dylan burning items in a large barrel while Zach stood by his
pickup truck. Allegedly, Zach then asked Jason for help in burying a body wrapped in a blanket in
the back of his truck. Jason sought recreational substances in exchange and agree
d to assist Zach
in hiding Holly's body. On their way, he noticed the absence of shovels or a pickaxe in the truck,
prompting Jason to suggest disposing of the body in the water. He claimed that Holly's intestines
were the only thing keeping her afloat, and this led him to gut her so that the body would stay
underwater. After this, they drove to an abandoned spot next to the Tennessee River with the intent
of disposing of Holly's body. On the way to this location, Zach callously bragged abo
ut exploiting
Holly in Shayne's grandmother's barn and claimed that Dylan and Shayne had also taken advantage
of her. Upon reaching the desolate spot by the river, Jason said that, as they dropped Holly's
body on the ground, he witnessed her foot move. He also heard a faint sound of distress coming
from the blanket. Disturbed by this, he alerted Zach, prompting him to pull out a pistol from
his car to shoot her in the head. The gun went off thrice, and they soon heard a nearby boat
approac
hing. In fear of getting caught, the group hastily placed the body back in the truck. After
this incident, Zach allegedly approached Jason with another macabre request – to murder his brother,
Dylan. The motive was to silence Dylan, who incessantly spoke about what had happened with Holly. In
exchange, Zach promised Jason a portion of his inheritance once his wealthy grandfather passed
away. Jason accepted Zach's offer and took Dylan out fishing on the Tennessee River in a bass
boat, intend
ing to shoot and dispose of him in the river. However, his plan was interrupted
by another fisherman who recognized Dylan and knew his grandfather. This encounter thwarted
Jason's intentions, and he never attempted it again. Furthermore, Jason asserted that Zach
had claimed they were at Holly's residence that fateful morning to teach Clint how to cook
illicit substances. However, they arrived early and encountered Holly, who screamed when she saw them.
This was what prompted them to abduct
the woman. Clint denied the allegations. After all, he
had already been cleared after initially becoming a person of interest. With Jason’s testimony,
the primary suspect was Zach and no one else. However, various issues surrounded Zach’s involvement
in Holly’s case. When authorities mapped out the ping of his phone against Holly’s that
morning, they found that he was miles away from the location where they had tracked Holly's
phone. Still, several witnesses claimed to have seen Zach murder
Holly. One notable witness was his
then-girlfriend, Rebecca. During the trial, Zach's attorney, Jennifer Thompson, attempted to discredit
Rebecca by pointing out her alleged substance use and suggesting a foggy memory. Thompson further
claimed that Rebecca had been threatened by TBI agent Valerie Trout, insinuating a motive to lie.
Attorney Thompson argued that investigators were desperate to assign responsibility for Holly's
murder, asserting that they had unfairly targeted her client. Desp
ite all these and the fact that
Clint's description of the captor did not match him, Zach Adams was found guilty and convicted on
September 22, 2017, for the kidnapping, assault, and murder of Holly Bobo. Zach initially faced
the death penalty, but he made a plea to serve a life sentence in prison, which was approved. Five
years later, in 2022, Zach appealed for another trial, but the Tennessee Appeal Court denied the
request. In 2018, Zach's brother, Dylan Adams, made an Alford Plea to a l
esser charge of facilitation
of murder, resulting in the 35-year sentence he was currently serving. On the other hand, Jason Autry was
released from prison in September 2020. However, just a few months later, he faced new
legal troubles, being indicted on a federal gun charge in 2021. In 2020, Tennessee representatives
introduced the "Holly Bobo Act," aiming to expand the Tennessee Endangered Persons Alert program in
memory of Holly. The act allows the TBI to issue endangered person alerts
for any missing person
under 21, expanding the previous age limit of 18. This became effective in January 2021. Despite the
legal complexities and challenges, Holly's family expressed their belief that the right individuals
had been incarcerated. Following Zach's conviction and sentencing, Karen directly addressed him
in her speech. I know that my daughter fought and fought hard for her life. And I know that she
begged for her life because my daughter loved and enjoyed life. But you chose t
o take that from her.
And you have shown absolutely, look at me please. You have shown absolutely no remorse for
anything that you have done. Finally, after six and 1/2 years, I do feel that we got justice for our
daughter. We have lived a hard life and walking a an extremely unimaginable hard road for 6 and a half
years. So I did consider that, in our decision for the future, in hopes that maybe we can start to
rebuild what life we have left, and if there is any joy to be found in life
any
more that we can start finding it.
Comments