On a quiet Sunday afternoon, May 2, 2021, the community of Jellico, Tennessee, was disturbed by a grim discovery. Brenda Gail Booth, a 62-year-old woman, was found deceased inside a camper located in the 200 block of Brickplant Lane. Campbell County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene around 2:30 p.m., where they found that Booth had been fatally shot.
The nature of her death prompted a joint investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Campbell County Sheriff's
Office. Their collaborative efforts quickly pointed to a suspect. The investigation led authorities to 56-year-old Steven W. Zecchini, also of Jellico. A warrant for his arrest was issued, and on May 3, the day after Booth's body was found, Zecchini was taken into custody. He was subsequently charged with murder and booked into the Campbell County Jail.
The legal process moved forward, and a Campbell County Grand Jury returned an indictment against Zecchini. The charges were expanded to include second-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In a court appearance in August 2021, Zecchini, through his appointed attorney, entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.
