In the quiet community of Lebanon, Tennessee, a dispute between two men shattered the peace on a September evening. Freeman Fisher Coles, a 73-year-old Caucasian male and lifelong resident, was known as a dedicated financial planner and a beloved grandfather. On September 17, 2018, his life came to an unexpected and violent end in an incident that also claimed the life of 52-year-old Richard David Harris.
The events unfolded around 7:15 p.m.
in the 200 block of Bartons Creek Road in Wilson County. According to the Wilson County Sheriff's Office, a civil dispute between Coles and Harris escalated to a fatal confrontation. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered both men deceased. Harris had sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen, while Coles was found bleeding from multiple locations.
An investigation into the double fatality pointed to a mutual shooting. A witness at the scene reported that both men had shot each other. Based on this account and the evidence gathered, the sheriff's office determined that there were no other suspects involved in the incident. The case was subsequently treated as a mutual shooting, and with no outstanding suspects, the investigation concluded that there was no ongoing threat to the public. The exact nature of the civil dispute that led to the deadly encounter was not made immediately clear.
