In the summer of 2017, a domestic dispute in Lenoir City, Tennessee, escalated into a tragic double homicide that claimed the life of 28-year-old Bethany Christian McKenzie. A white female and mother of three, McKenzie was shot and killed on June 21, 2017, by her fiancé, Colby Shane Cannon. The violent outburst also resulted in the death of Cannon's sister, Taylor Brooke Cannon Creamer, who was 24 at the time.
The events leading to the fatal shooting began with an argument between McKenzie and Cannon as they were driving with three children in the vehicle. After Cannon let McKenzie out of the car, he returned to his home with the children. Later that day, McKenzie went back to the residence accompanied by Creamer in an attempt to leave. It was then that the argument reignited.
As the two women tried to depart, Cannon followed them outside and opened fire, shooting them multiple times with a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun. McKenzie was pronounced dead at the scene from her gunshot wounds. Creamer was transported to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where she later succumbed to her injuries. Investigators noted that two children were inside the home and one was outside at the time of the shooting.
Following the incident, Colby Cannon himself called 911 to report that he had shot his fiancée and his sister. He was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. In December 2019, Cannon pleaded guilty to the charges. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after serving a minimum of 51 years. As part of his sentence, the court ordered him to have no contact with the families of his victims.
