On a late Friday evening in Copperhill, Tennessee, a domestic dispute escalated into a fatal tragedy. Buell Cody Thomason, a 39-year-old male, was shot and killed on August 22, 2025, at a residence on Grassy Creek Road. The events of that night stemmed from a seemingly minor disagreement that ultimately had a deadly conclusion. Thomason had been arguing with his 51-year-old girlfriend, Rhonda G.
Deal, over a bag he had reportedly borrowed or taken from another person living in the house to carry his personal items.
According to witnesses, the argument between Thomason and Deal appeared to have subsided. However, approximately thirty minutes after the initial conflict ended, the sound of a gunshot shattered the evening quiet. When deputies from the Polk County Sheriff's Office arrived at the home around 8:30 p.m., they discovered Thomason at the walkway of the residence with a fatal gunshot wound to his face. Emergency medical services were present, but Thomason was already deceased at the scene.
Investigators quickly identified Rhonda G. Deal as the suspected shooter. The weapon believed to have been used in the incident, a single-shot. 410 gauge shotgun with slug-type ammunition, was recovered by deputies. Based on interviews and evidence gathered at the scene, Deal was arrested and taken into custody. She was subsequently charged with first-degree murder.
Following her arrest, Rhonda G. Deal was booked into the Polk County Jail, where she is being held without bond. Buell Cody Thomason's body was transported to the Knoxville Regional Forensic Center for an autopsy to officially determine the cause of death. The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing by the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
