In the early morning hours of September 24, 2017, a violent altercation on Cherry Tree Drive in Clarksville, Tennessee, ended in the shooting of 48-year-old Michael Kehoe. Responding to a call at approximately 5:14 a.m., Clarksville Police discovered Kehoe with a gunshot wound to his hip and thigh area. Despite his injuries, Kehoe was alert and able to identify his alleged shooter to the officers on the scene.
According to witness statements, the incident began with a physical confrontation. Tanner Burgess, 27 at the time, reportedly struck Kehoe, leading to two other men intervening and hitting Burgess. Following this, Burgess is said to have threatened to retrieve an 'AK' before returning and shooting Kehoe. After the shooting, Burgess was found by police hiding in the woods behind the residence and was taken into custody. An 8 mm bullet casing was recovered from inside the home near the front door.
Initially, Burgess was charged with aggravated assault. However, Michael Kehoe's condition worsened, and he passed away two weeks after the shooting. Consequently, the charges against Burgess were upgraded to first-degree murder, employing a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony, and aggravated assault resulting in another's death. The case proceeded to a bench trial in October 2019.
During the trial, the defense questioned the direct cause of Kehoe's death. While the state-ordered autopsy determined the cause of death to be homicide with complications from a gunshot wound, a forensic pathologist testifying for the defense noted that Kehoe did not exhibit the typical complications like pneumonia, bleeding, or a blood clot. The defense also pointed to Kehoe's enlarged heart and the presence of prescription drugs in his system as potential contributing factors. Ultimately, the judge found Tanner Burgess guilty of the lesser charges of attempted voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault, as well as guilty of employing a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.
