Mary Denise 'Necie' Ables, a 54-year-old white female from Athens, Tennessee, tragically lost her life in a shooting incident on Saturday, September 18, 2021. The violence occurred at a residence in the Mt. Verd community of McMinn County, leaving another individual, Jonathan Burger, injured with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.
In the days following the fatal shooting, the McMinn County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of two individuals in connection with the case. Esau C.
Kelly was taken into custody and faced charges of murder and attempted murder in the second degree. A second suspect, Melissa K. Pueirtt, was also arrested and charged with accessory after the fact of murder in the second degree. The investigation into the double-shooting that claimed the life of Mary Denise 'Necie' Ables, also known as Mary Dalton, is continuing.
