One Dead, One Charged In Christian Road Homicide Investigation –
Press Release CCSO, Sheriff Case Cox; Public Information Officer Sgt. Gary Howard —
Cumberland County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a 911 call at approximately 6:22 P.M. Sunday Evening (09/27/2020) to 25 Christian Road for a shooting call. Deputies arrived and discovered the victim, Billy Ray Jones (DOB 6/15/1957) deceased inside the home from an apparent gunshot wound as a result of a homicide. Deputies immediately secured the scene and contacted investigators. Cumberland County Sheriff’s Investigators, Agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and members of the 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office responded to the scene to conduct an investigation. The investigation proceeded and a primary suspect, Thomas Mack Arnold, Sr. (DOB 10/24/1981) became the focus of the investigation in which it was believed that he had committed the murder and shot Billy Ray Jones. The investigation also revealed that Arnold was attempting to flee Tennessee and go to Florida and that Arnold could possibly be travelling in a green 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis. Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office contacted multiple Sheriff’s Offices in Georgia near I-75 and issued a BOLO for the suspect Arnold as well as a green 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis. At approximately 3:10 A.M. The Crisp County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia contacted Sheriff Casey Cox and advised him that Crisp County Sheriff’s Deputies had captured and arrested suspect Arnold as they conducted a traffic stop of a green 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis travelling south on I-75. The suspect Arnold was taken into custody without incident. Thomas Mack Arnold, Sr. has been charged with First Degree Murder and will be extradited back to Tennessee to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office awaiting a court appearance. The victim will be transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee for autopsy and all evidence will be analyzed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Crime Laboratory. Sheriff Cox said "I wanted to thank all the multiple agencies who worked together so well to solve this murder investigation". He also said "this is a result of teamwork and multiple law enforcement agencies working great together." This is the second murder investigation that agencies responded to, worked, and solved in Cumberland County this weekend. The investigation is ongoing and additional releases will be provided as information becomes available. At this time there is no other information available for release.
Original Story:
Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the District Attorney’s Office of the 13th Judicial District are currently conducting a homicide investigation at a residence on Christian Road in Cumberland County. Identity and further details will be released as the investigation continues.
(Photo courtesy CCSO)