In the early morning hours of March 31, 2020, a dispute in the parking lot of an inn on Brick Church Pike in Nashville, Tennessee, ended in the shooting death of 37-year-old Thomas Edward Boyd. Boyd, who had previously been a guest at the America's Best Value Inn, had returned to the location at approximately 4 a.m. to gather his personal items.
Soon after his arrival, Boyd became embroiled in a heated argument with a man who was present in another room with several other individuals.
The confrontation escalated and moved to a stairwell, where the man fatally shot Boyd. The shooter then escaped the scene in a blue Chevrolet Traverse. Law enforcement officials with the Metro Nashville Police Department quickly began their investigation, stating they had strong leads they were actively pursuing.
The investigation led to the identification and arrest of a suspect, Jerry Buckner, a 56-year-old convicted sex offender and robber. Buckner was apprehended by authorities when he made a mandatory visit to the state's sex offender registry office. He was subsequently charged with criminal homicide in connection with Thomas Edward Boyd's death and was held at the Hill Detention Center on a $3 million bond.
