In the late hours of a September evening in Kingsport, Tennessee, a young man's life was tragically cut short. Samuel James Sturgill, a 23-year-old white male, was found lying in the roadway of the 1000 block of Reedy Place on September 19, 2015, the victim of a shooting. Emergency services rushed him to Holston Valley Medical Center, but his injuries proved fatal, and he succumbed after arrival at the hospital.
Sturgill, remembered by friends and family for his love of nature, fitness, and music, was described as an inspiration to others who lived life to its fullest.
The Kingsport Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division worked through the night and into the next day to piece together the events that led to Sturgill's death. Their investigation quickly pointed to Abram Jeremiah Amos as a person of interest. Investigators tracked Amos to a residence in Sullivan County where they also located a vehicle matching the description of one seen fleeing the scene of the shooting. It was determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence, as Sturgill and Amos were acquainted with one another prior to the incident.
Following his apprehension, Abram Jeremiah Amos was positively identified as the shooter and was subsequently arrested and charged with Second Degree Murder. The firearm believed to have been used in the shooting was also recovered by law enforcement. In December 2016, Abram Amos pleaded guilty to the murder of Samuel James Sturgill in Sullivan County Criminal Court. A judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison for the crime.
