Jesse Dupree

Jesse Dupree, a 40-year-old White woman, was one of four people killed in a violent shooting on September 25, 2021, in a rural community outside Athens, Tennessee. The attack, which stemmed from a domestic dispute, also claimed the lives of 39-year-old Brandy Nicole Harris, 24-year-old Skylar Hawn, and 36-year-old Trevon Hall. The incident left a trail of devastation that shocked the small community of Riceville.

The violence erupted after 8:00 a.m. that Saturday when two individuals, Jazzmine Jacole Hall and Curtis Donnell Smith, arrived at a residence on County Road 60. An altercation began between Jazzmine Hall and Trevon Hall over their 10-month-old child. The dispute quickly escalated, and witnesses reported that Jazzmine Hall took the baby at gunpoint and then shot Trevon Hall. Curtis Smith then shot Trevon Hall again before shooting and killing Jesse Dupree, Brandy Harris, and Skylar Hawn. Two other people inside the home survived; one escaped through a window while the other pretended to be dead. The survivors were able to alert the McMinn County Sheriff's Office.

After the shootings, Smith set the residence on fire. He and Hall fled the scene with the infant, prompting a manhunt. Later that night, a SWAT operation in neighboring Polk County resulted in the arrests of both suspects. The 10-month-old baby was recovered safely and placed in the custody of the Department of Children's Services.

Hall and Smith were indicted on numerous charges, including four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated arson. In January 2022, the district attorney's office announced its intention to seek the death penalty against both defendants. They were scheduled to be tried separately in 2024.

As jury selection for her trial was about to begin on April 15, 2024, Jazzmine Jacole Hall pleaded guilty to the charges against her. In exchange for her plea, she was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole.

Less than a month later, on May 10, 2024, co-defendant Curtis Donnell Smith also pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and other charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, arson, and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. He received four consecutive life sentences without parole, plus an additional 28 years to be served consecutively, bringing the case to a close as of May 2024.