In December of 2017, a deeply troubling discovery was made in a Johnson City, Tennessee mobile home. Worried after not hearing from them for a couple of days, a friend went to check on 23-year-old Kyanna Howes Vaughn and her 25-year-old husband, Robert Aaron Vaughn. Tragically, the couple was found deceased in their bedroom, both having suffered from gunshot wounds. Kyanna, who was six to seven months pregnant at the time, and Robert had recently married just a few months prior. Adding to the heartbreak of the scene, their two young children, ages three and six, were found unharmed inside the home.
The investigation into the double homicide, which authorities considered a triple homicide due to the death of the unborn child, quickly led them to a suspect. Derrick Benjamin Sells, a 33-year-old man from Fall Branch, Tennessee, was identified as the perpetrator. Investigators learned that Sells was an acquaintance of Robert Vaughn, and the two had been in communication on the evening of the murders. Sells had a criminal history that included previous drug convictions and was on probation for charges that included aggravated assault on a police officer at the time of the killings.
Derrick Sells was arrested on December 9, 2017, and faced a multitude of charges, including three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of felony murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, aggravated robbery, and aggravated child neglect. A handgun was later discovered in his vehicle. In March 2020, to avoid a trial, Derick Benjamin Sells, then 35, pleaded guilty to the murders of Kyanna, Robert, and their unborn child. As a result of his plea, he was sentenced to life in prison. The terms of his sentence require him to serve a minimum of 51 years before he is eligible for parole.
