In the early morning hours of March 5, 2018, a grim discovery was made in a residence on Chance Road in South Pittsburg, Tennessee. Buford E. Reyna Jr., a 19-year-old male, was found deceased, leaving his family and community in shock. The young man, a graduate of Central Prep in Jasper, was a father to a son and a daughter. His sudden death cut short a life that was just beginning.
Authorities were alerted to the situation when a call was made to Marion County dispatchers shortly after
5 a.m. Officers from the South Pittsburg Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene. The investigation into the circumstances of Reyna's death was quickly launched, with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation being called in to assist at the request of the 12th District Attorney General. It was determined that Reyna had been a victim of gun violence.
The investigation swiftly led to a person of interest. An acquaintance of Reyna's, Kordell D. Griffin, was identified as the individual allegedly responsible for his death. By that same evening, Griffin was taken into custody and faced serious charges. He was charged with one count of Criminal Homicide and one count of Possession of a Weapon by a Convicted Felon. Following his arrest, Kordell Griffin was booked into the Marion County Jail, where he was held without bond.
