On a late afternoon in February 2021, a grim discovery was made in a home in the small community of Wesley, Arkansas. Inside the residence on County Road 6041, authorities found the bodies of 51-year-old Tami Lynn Chenoweth, a female, her husband James Stanley McGhee, 59, and her daughter, Cheyene Chenoweth, 26. The scene was the result of a brutal act of violence; Tami had been shot at least nine times, while James was shot at least six times, and Cheyene had been both shot and stabbed.
The family, known to be devout churchgoers with plans to spread their faith, had their lives tragically cut short.
The investigation quickly turned to a member of their own family, Tami's 22-year-old son, Hunter Chenoweth. In the hours following the discovery of the bodies, an urgent search was initiated for two vehicles that had been at the home and for an infant, Cheyene's child, who was missing from the scene. One of the vehicles was found abandoned along Interstate 40. Later that night, state troopers spotted the second vehicle, a van, on Interstate 30. When they pulled the van over, Hunter Chenoweth emerged armed with a rifle, verbally provoking the officers before he was ultimately taken into custody. The abducted baby was found inside the van, physically unharmed, and was turned over to the Department of Human Services. A 25-year-old woman driving the van was also questioned and later released.
The motive for the killings remained a question for those left to grieve, though there were indications of turmoil within the home. Family members reported that there had been tension involving Hunter and his girlfriend prior to the murders. In a chilling phone call on the day of the slayings, Tami had mentioned this discontent to another of her daughters. After the crime, Hunter's brother called his stepfather's phone and Hunter allegedly answered, informing him that the family members were dead.
Hunter Chenoweth was charged with three counts of capital murder. His path through the justice system was marked by delays, including the discovery of the suspected murder weapon near Conway and a medical emergency involving a witness. After initially pleading not guilty, his trial began in February 2025. Jurors were presented with harrowing evidence, including crime scene photos and a video in which Hunter admitted to the police, 'I just kept shooting.' Just one day into the trial, Hunter Chenoweth changed his plea to guilty. He was subsequently sentenced to three consecutive life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole, bringing a legal conclusion to the tragic and violent end of three family members' lives.
