In the quiet community of Tellico Plains, Tennessee, a Friday afternoon in October of 2013 was shattered by a discovery that would unravel a story of domestic turmoil and betrayal. Michael Lee Strickland, a 41-year-old male and a well-regarded local mechanic, was found deceased in the driveway of his own home on Fairview Road. The scene was grim; he had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. His body was discovered shortly before 12:45 p.m.
outside the workshop that sat directly behind his house.
Initially, the circumstances surrounding Michael's death were unclear. His wife, Marie Strickland, made a frantic 911 call, reporting that she had returned from running errands to find her husband unresponsive. To law enforcement, she denied any involvement, portraying their relationship as a happy one. However, as investigators began to piece together the events of that day, a different and more complex narrative started to emerge. Michael's son revealed to authorities that his father and stepmother argued frequently, and further investigation uncovered that both had been unfaithful and had discussed the possibility of divorce in the months leading up to the incident.
The investigation soon focused on Marie and her younger brother, Chris Smallin. A pivotal piece of evidence came from an examination of Marie's cellphone records, which showed deleted conversations with her brother on the day of Michael's death. When questioned, Chris Smallin's story implicated his sister. He admitted that Marie had asked him for a gun, claiming she needed it for protection from Michael. He also told investigators that on the day of the shooting, she had asked him how to check if the firearm was loaded and later returned it to him where he worked at the local library. Faced with this information, Marie Strickland admitted to shooting her husband. She claimed that he had been physically abusive towards her and her daughter for many years and that her memory of the actual event was hazy, only recalling firing the weapon as she was running away from him. However, analysis of the bullet's trajectory contradicted her version of events.
Ultimately, Marie Strickland was charged with first-degree murder in connection with her husband's death. Her brother, Chris Smallin, faced charges of being an accessory after the fact and destruction of evidence for his role in disposing of the murder weapon, which he claimed to have thrown into a river and was never recovered. In June of 2015, in a turn of events that avoided a trial, Marie, then 42, accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder. She was subsequently sentenced to 21 years in prison. For his part in the crime, Chris Smallin pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and received a suspended two-year sentence.
