In the small town of Coalmont, Tennessee, a dispute on a February night in 2019 ended in the death of 38-year-old Bradford Orion Meeks. On February 10th, an altercation on Lockhart Town Road led to Meeks being fatally shot. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The incident prompted an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Grundy County Sheriff's Department.
Early reports suggested that the events leading to the shooting began
with an argument between Meeks and his girlfriend. It is believed Meeks left the residence after the initial dispute but returned a short time later, leading to a second confrontation. During this subsequent argument, the fatal shot was fired.
The investigation into the death of Meeks, a man employed by Silver Bait, quickly focused on an acquaintance present at the scene. In the months that followed, investigators developed information that identified George David Byers, Jr. as the individual allegedly responsible for Meeks's death.
On November 12, 2019, the Grundy County Grand Jury returned an indictment against Byers, charging him with one count of second-degree murder. The following day, George David Byers, Jr., then 64 years old, was arrested and booked into the Grundy County Jail on a $75,000 bond.
