In the early morning hours of July 22, 2023, the quiet of the Midway Community in Smithville, Tennessee, was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Outside his residence on Kings Court Circle, 56-year-old Thomas 'T.D.' Dwayne Thomason, a male resident of Smithville, was fatally shot. The incident occurred at approximately 2:12 a.m., prompting an immediate response from emergency services.
A deputy from the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department arrived within minutes to find Thomason on the ground with a gunshot wound.
DeKalb EMS transported Thomason to Ascension Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. At the scene of the shooting, law enforcement authorities detained 39-year-old Jarrett Lee Manning of Ferrell Road, who was present during the incident. A handgun, believed to be the weapon used in the shooting, was also recovered at the location.
The investigation into Thomason's death was a collaborative effort involving the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the 13th Judicial District Attorney General's Office, and the Smithville Police Department. While a motive for the shooting was not publicly disclosed, the investigation led to the arrest of Manning. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder, and his bond was set at $500,000. In November 2023, a DeKalb County Grand Jury indicted Manning on the charge of second-degree murder, and he was scheduled for arraignment in DeKalb County Criminal Court.
