On the evening of April 13, 2021, Sharon Lindsey Gillespie, a 52-year-old female employee at The Summit of Lawrenceburg, an assisted living facility in Tennessee, stepped outside for a break. Moments later, a quiet evening was shattered by the sound of gunshots. Gillespie managed to stumble back into the foyer of her workplace where she collapsed, having been fatally shot.
Her sudden and violent death sent shockwaves through the community and launched an extensive homicide investigation led by the Lawrenceburg Police Department.
For nearly a year, investigators pieced together the evidence surrounding the senseless killing. The breakthrough in the case came in April 2022, when authorities announced the arrest of Brandon M. Waire of Columbia, Tennessee. A Lawrence County Grand Jury indicted Waire on multiple charges, including first-degree murder, criminal homicide, attempted especially aggravated robbery, and criminal conspiracy to sell Schedule II narcotics. He was taken into custody and held on a significant bond as the investigation continued, with law enforcement indicating that other arrests were expected.
The full picture of the events leading to Gillespie's death began to emerge with a second arrest in June 2024. Victoria A. Cash, also from Columbia, was indicted by the Lawrence County Grand Jury on charges mirroring Waire's: first-degree murder, criminal homicide, attempted especially aggravated robbery, and criminal conspiracy to sell Schedule II narcotics. Her arrest signaled a significant development in the long-running investigation.
In October 2024, Brandon Waire faced a jury for his role in the murder of Sharon Gillespie. After hearing the evidence presented by the prosecution, the Lawrence County jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and aggravated assault. While one perpetrator was brought to justice, the legal proceedings for the second suspect, Victoria A. Cash, were still pending, leaving the final chapter of this tragic story to be written.
