In the early morning hours of Saturday, February 24, 2018, the life of Cody James Sustman was tragically cut short in West Knox County, Tennessee. The 30-year-old male was found deceased from a gunshot wound at a residence on Missoula Way. Deputies from the Knox County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene just after 2 a.m. and pronounced him dead at the location. The initial investigation into the apparent homicide began, with law enforcement assuring the community that there appeared to be no direct threat to the public.
As the investigation progressed, the focus quickly turned to Sustman's girlfriend, Arielle Grustozzi. Later that same day, the Knox County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Unit took the 27-year-old woman into custody without incident. The authorities alleged that Grustozzi was the one who fatally shot her boyfriend.
Following her arrest, Arielle Grustozzi was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Cody James Sustman. She was subsequently booked into the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility. A judge set her bond at a substantial $1 million as she awaited further legal proceedings in a case that turned a domestic relationship into a homicide investigation.
