In the late afternoon of June 27, 2020, a violent encounter unfolded at the Estill Springs, Tennessee, home of James Eric Hanger, a 51-year-old man. The incident began around 5 p.m. when a man named Brent Moon, an acquaintance of Hanger's, arrived at his Pleasant Grove Road residence. Hanger allowed Moon inside, at which point two other individuals, described as wearing all black clothing and masks, also entered the home.
Once inside, one or more of the intruders produced a weapon and
demanded money from Hanger. An argument broke out, leading to a struggle for control of the firearm. During the altercation, the weapon was discharged, and Hanger was fatally wounded. The three men then fled the scene, leaving Hanger to be discovered by authorities.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Department quickly launched an investigation and identified Brent Moon of Tullahoma as a primary suspect, issuing a warrant for his arrest on charges of first-degree murder. Law enforcement across southern and middle Tennessee were alerted to be on the lookout for Moon, who was considered armed and dangerous.
Within days, the investigation led to the identification of Moon's alleged accomplices, J'Shaun Myrick and Paul Wayne Fletcher of Nashville. The manhunt for the three suspects concluded with a series of arrests. Brent Moon was apprehended in Murfreesboro on June 30th. J'Shaun Myrick was captured in Franklin County on July 9th. The final suspect, Paul Wayne Fletcher, was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Rutherford County on August 4th. All three men were subsequently charged with criminal homicide in connection with the death of James Eric Hanger.
