On a tragic September morning in 2025, the community of Rickman, Tennessee, was shaken by the discovery of two bodies outside a home on Freeman Drive. The victims were identified as 25-year-old Isaiah Thomas Hawkins and his 43-year-old mother, Christina Denise Hawkins. Both had been fatally shot in what authorities would soon describe as a double homicide.
Isaiah was a white male.
The investigation into the deaths of Isaiah and Christina quickly pointed to one individual: 27-year-old Payton Wayne Nations. As law enforcement began to close in, a multi-county manhunt ensued. Authorities issued alerts to the public, and a reverse 911 call was made to residents in the area, urging them to be vigilant. The search for Nations intensified after a fisherman on Center Hill Lake reported seeing a man, matching Nations' description, attempting to submerge a vehicle in the water at a boat ramp before fleeing the scene. The witness was able to prevent the car from sinking completely.
Following a series of tips from watchful residents, law enforcement, including the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, located and arrested Nations in Putnam County without incident. He was taken into custody and transported to the Overton County Jail.
Payton Wayne Nations was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Isaiah Thomas Hawkins and Christina Denise Hawkins. He was booked into jail on a $40 million bond. The investigation into the motive for the double homicide is ongoing. Isaiah was remembered as a loving father and an incredible cook who enjoyed spending his free time with his children, playing video games, and watching football.
