William Ray Tinker Jr., a 32-year-old white male, was fatally shot on the evening of June 12, 2018, in Crump, Tennessee. The incident that led to his death unfolded at a camping area near the Tennessee River at Perkins Bluff, where he and his wife, Abigale Tinker, had been staying for a couple of weeks. An altercation occurred after Justin Williams, 34, arrived at the location with his wife and their two children, reportedly so the children could play in the water.
As the evening progressed, a dispute erupted between Tinker and Williams. The confrontation escalated, culminating in Williams shooting Tinker in the chest with a. 30-caliber rifle. Following the shooting, Abigale Tinker drove her husband to a nearby restaurant on U.S. 64 in an attempt to get help. Despite efforts by paramedics who arrived at the scene, William Ray Tinker Jr. was pronounced dead.
Law enforcement quickly identified Justin Williams as the suspect. He was apprehended the following morning at his residence on Borden Loop in Crump. Investigators recovered the high-powered rifle believed to be the murder weapon in a shop building on the property. Williams, a convicted felon and registered sex offender who had recently moved to Hardin County, was arrested and faced multiple charges. These included first-degree murder, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, tampering with evidence, and violation of the offender registration law.
Accounts of the events leading up to the shooting differed. Williams claimed that Tinker was intoxicated and had threatened his wife, implying he acted in self-defense. However, Abigale Tinker contradicted this, stating that Williams was the aggressor. Justin Williams was held in lieu of a $1 million bond. The case gained wider attention when it was featured on an episode of Investigation Discovery's show 'Secrets, Lies & Private Eyes: The Accused and the Lover.'
