Shelby Lynn Booth, a 26-year-old woman, was tragically killed on May 7, 2022, while on vacation in a rental cabin located between Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Originally from Boiling Springs, South Carolina, she had traveled to the popular tourist destination with her boyfriend, 21-year-old Julian Popoca.
On that Saturday, Sevier County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a call about a shooting at a cabin on Katy Creek Road. Upon arrival, they discovered Shelby Lynn Booth deceased inside the cabin from multiple gunshot wounds. Popoca was at the scene and was detained by the authorities.
According to arrest warrants, Popoca admitted to shooting his girlfriend after they had been involved in an argument. Friends of Booth later revealed that she had expressed concerns about Popoca, suggesting that if anything were to happen to her, he would likely be responsible. One friend had reportedly spoken to her just 20 minutes before the fatal incident occurred.
Julian Popoca was arrested and initially charged with second-degree murder. Subsequently, a Sevier County grand jury indicted him on the more severe charge of first-degree murder. As of the latest available reports, he was being held in the Sevier County jail awaiting trial. Friends and family remembered Shelby as a kind-hearted and genuine person who loved to laugh and was full of life.
