In the early morning hours of January 10, 2021, tragedy struck the community of Tiptonville, Tennessee. Birdie Mae Terry, a 58-year-old Black female, was standing in the driveway of her home on McBride Street when she was shot. The incident occurred at approximately 1:25 a.m. Terry was grievously wounded and rushed to Regional One Health Medical Center in Memphis for treatment. Despite medical efforts, she succumbed to her injuries three days later, on January 13, 2021.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was brought in to lead the inquiry into Terry's death. For nearly two years, agents meticulously worked the case, gathering evidence and following leads. Their persistent investigation eventually pointed to two individuals: Michelle L. Basham of Tiptonville and Jared A. Scott of nearby Ridgely. Investigators determined that Basham and Scott were responsible for the fatal shooting of Birdie Terry.
In November 2022, the evidence compiled by the TBI was presented to a Lake County Grand Jury. The grand jury returned indictments against both Michelle Basham and Jared Scott, charging them with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Basham was taken into custody and booked into the Lake County Jail on a $750,000 bond. Scott was already incarcerated in the Dyer County Jail on unrelated charges at the time the new charges were filed against him.
Ultimately, the case against Basham and Scott proceeded to trial in Lake County Circuit Court. A jury found both Michelle Basham and Jared Scott guilty of the first-degree murder of Birdie Terry. Following the guilty verdicts, the judge immediately sentenced both defendants to life in prison for their roles in the senseless act of violence that claimed the life of a beloved member of the Tiptonville community.
