In the quiet town of Church Hill, Tennessee, the evening of Wednesday, April 30, 2025, was shattered by violence that claimed the life of 43-year-old Joseph William Pennington. Officers from the Church Hill Police Department were dispatched to a residence in the 100 block of Highland Avenue shortly before 6:30 p.m. following reports of a shooting. Inside the home, they discovered Pennington, who had been fatally shot.
The investigation into the homicide was a collaborative effort between
the Church Hill Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. As authorities worked to piece together the events of that evening, a suspect was identified.
A few days later, the man wanted in connection with Pennington's death, Hunter Groves, turned himself in to the police. Groves was subsequently charged with second-degree murder for his alleged role in the fatal shooting. Following his surrender, he was transported to the Hawkins County Jail and held on a $500,000 bond. The motive for the shooting has not been publicly released.
