On a tragic Friday evening, the life of 23-year-old Cassidy Chalee Madison Jackson, a white female, was cut short. Jackson, who was reported missing by her family in Putnam County on Saturday, April 12, 2025, had last been in contact with them the previous day. Unbeknownst to them at the time, she was found unconscious with head trauma on Rachels Lane in Hermitage, Tennessee, on Friday night.
She was immediately transported to a local medical center, where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries. An autopsy later revealed that the cause of death was a fatal gunshot wound.
The investigation into her death quickly became a homicide investigation. Authorities were able to locate her vehicle in Atlanta after it was detected by a license plate reader. This led them to identify a person of interest, 35-year-old Robert E. Smith Jr. of Cookeville. While he was being investigated in connection with Jackson's murder, warrants had not yet been issued for his arrest in this specific case. However, Smith was already wanted on eight counts of aggravated assault, as well as charges of especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated stalking, domestic assault, harassment, and vandalism, all stemming from incidents that occurred earlier that month.
The search for answers in Cassidy Jackson's murder came to a definitive end the following week. On Thursday, law enforcement in Calhoun, Georgia, located Robert E. Smith Jr. A pursuit ensued, during which Smith fired upon the officers. After crashing the stolen vehicle he was driving, Smith was found inside with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His death brought a resolution to the homicide investigation, as evidence collected in Georgia linked him to Jackson's murder. The investigation into Smith's death is ongoing by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
