Brodie R. Wilkinson, III, a 22-year-old White/Caucasian male from Springfield, Tennessee, was known by friends and family as a kind-hearted and friendly young man. A 2014 graduate of Greenbrier High School, he had a special bond with his mother, with whom he often went hunting, and shared a passion for rebuilding old cars with his father.
On the afternoon of October 6, 2018, this quiet life was tragically cut short. Wilkinson discovered three people trespassing on his family's farm near Highway 76 and Possum Trot Road, swimming in a creek. He confronted the individuals and asked them to leave the private property. When they refused, Wilkinson prudently decided to avoid a direct confrontation and drove away to call the authorities. He informed a 911 dispatcher about the situation and made arrangements to meet with law enforcement officers on nearby Gum Station Road.
As he drove to the meeting point, he noticed the trespassers following him in a white Dodge Charger. Sensing the escalating danger, Wilkinson began recording the encounter with his cellphone. The video captured the harrowing moments as two men exited the Charger, one of them visibly armed with a gun. A single gunshot was then heard on the recording. Wilkinson was struck by the gunfire, causing his truck to crash. First responders initially believed they were at the scene of a single-vehicle accident, but soon discovered it was a homicide.
The investigation moved swiftly, and within 24 hours, authorities apprehended three suspects in connection with the shooting. Daniel Blake Scott, then 28, Darick A. Hinerman, 26, and Jennifer Henning, 23, were taken into custody. All three were initially charged with criminal homicide, with their bonds set at $1 million each. The case was later presented to a Robertson County grand jury, which indicted all three individuals on charges of first-degree murder, concluding that the killing of Brodie Wilkinson was premeditated.
