Latest news with #TennesseeBureauofInvestigation
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Four people found dead after abandoning baby on front lawn
Four people were found dead late on Tuesday night in Lake County, Tennessee, just hours after an infant girl was abandoned in a car seat on a stranger's front lawn during 100-degree heat. The Dyer County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the bodies were discovered at a separate crime scene believed to be linked to the abandoned baby case, prompting a joint investigation involving the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the FBI, and multiple local agencies. 'This is a deeply saddening day for our community,' Sheriff Jeff Box said in a statement. 'We are committed to uncovering the truth and ensuring justice is served.' Deputies were called to a home off Old Highway 20 near Tigrett, a quiet rural area in northwest Tennessee, just after 3pm. A witness reported a dark-colored minivan stopping briefly before leaving an infant in a car seat on a front lawn. The baby, believed to be about seven months old, was rescued and evaluated by Medical Center EMS and the Crockett County Ambulance Service. Authorities say the child appeared to be in stable condition but had been left out in the brutal triple-digit afternoon heat. 'We have no idea why they dropped the child off,' said Chief Investigator Terry McCreight about the ordeal. 'We're now trying to locate that vehicle.' At the time the infant was found, temperatures had reached 96 degrees, with a heat index of 111 degrees, making the incident all the more harrowing. Within hours, deputies identified the child and issued alerts seeking Cortney Rose, Matthew Wilson, and Adrianna Williams for questioning in connection with the abandonment. Authorities have not confirmed whether any of these individuals are among the four people found dead in neighboring Lake County. The identities of the deceased are being withheld until next of kin are notified. Investigators are now attempting to piece together whether the Lake County deaths are directly tied to the infant's abandonment. Investigators credit social media with rapidly identifying the child. A Facebook post from the sheriff's office, shared more than 1,800 times, led to the breakthrough within 30 minutes. 'Our information officer put a Facebook post up and immediately hit social media, and within 30 minutes we knew who the child was,' McCreight said. The sheriff's office said it remains dedicated to 'resolving both the abandoned infant case and the ongoing investigation at the crime scene in Lake County.' The Tigrett community, a quiet rural area in northwest Tennessee, is in shock. The image of an infant, left helpless in sweltering heat on a stranger's lawn, has become a symbol of the bizarre and deeply troubling series of events. Residents gathered outside their homes on Tuesday night, watching in disbelief as law enforcement vehicles raced between counties. 'We just can't believe something like this would happen here,' one neighbor told local news cameras, shaking her head. As of Tuesday night, no arrests have been made, and investigators are tight-lipped about possible motives or connections between the infant and the four deceased adults. Sheriff Box has appealed to the public for tips and urged anyone with information to call 731-285-2802. 'Please remember everyone in your prayers,' Box said.
19-07-2025
The owner of the Tennessee factory where workers drowned after Hurricane Helene won't face charges
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The owner of a factory where six workers died last year in flooding from Hurricane Helene won't face charges after a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation found no criminal wrongdoing. First Judicial District Attorney General Steven Finney announced the decision to close the case on Friday, saying no further action will be taken. The investigation found no evidence that Impact Plastics employees were told they could not leave the factory or that they would be fired if they left, according to a news release from the district attorney. It also found employees had a little more than an hour during which they could have evacuated from the Erwin, Tennessee, industrial park. The conclusion mirrors that of a similar investigation by the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration that found in April that workers had time to evacuate the premises, albeit by makeshift routes. A statement from Impact Plastics attorney Stephen Ross Johnson on Friday said company president and founder Gerald O'Connor welcomes the results of the TBI investigation. 'The true and accurate facts are now known,' the statement reads. Five employees and one contractor who cleaned the offices once a week were killed on Sept. 27 after they were washed away by floodwaters. They were among 12 people who stuck close to the Impact Plastics building, waiting for the water to recede, after realizing the exit road was already submerged. When the water kept rising, they climbed onto the bed of a semitrailer loaded with giant spools of plastic piping that was parked outside the factory. When floodwaters eventually overwhelmed the truck, six people were able to use the piping for flotation and were later rescued. The other six drowned. The TOSHA report notes that several Impact Plastics employees did escape the flood. Some were able to drive or walk over an embankment to a nearby highway after workers at a neighboring business dismantled a fence there. Others escaped by driving over a makeshift path onto nearby railroad tracks that an employee at a neighboring business created with a tractor. Still others were able to escape by walking to the railroad tracks, according to that report. Although the criminal case is being closed, the company still faces a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of Johnny Peterson, and other civil suits are planned. Attorney Luke Widener, who represents the families of several flood victims, said in a statement that they 'categorically disagree that Impact Plastics employees were given any meaningful opportunity to escape. ...Indeed, if Impact Plastics' account were true, Bertha Mendoza, Sibrina Barnett, and the others who perished would still be with us."
San Francisco Chronicle
18-07-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
The owner of the Tennessee factory where workers drowned after Hurricane Helene won't face charges
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The owner of a factory where six workers died last year in flooding from Hurricane Helene won't face charges after a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation found no criminal wrongdoing. First Judicial District Attorney General Steven Finney announced the decision to close the case on Friday, saying no further action will be taken. The investigation found no evidence that Impact Plastics employees were told they could not leave the factory or that they would be fired if they left, according to a news release from the district attorney. It also found employees had a little more than an hour during which they could have evacuated from the Erwin, Tennessee, industrial park. The conclusion mirrors that of a similar investigation by the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration that found in April that workers had time to evacuate the premises, albeit by makeshift routes. A statement from Impact Plastics attorney Stephen Ross Johnson on Friday said company president and founder Gerald O'Connor welcomes the results of the TBI investigation. 'The true and accurate facts are now known,' the statement reads. Five employees and one contractor who cleaned the offices once a week were killed on Sept. 27 after they were washed away by floodwaters. They were among 12 people who stuck close to the Impact Plastics building, waiting for the water to recede, after realizing the exit road was already submerged. When the water kept rising, they climbed onto the bed of a semitrailer loaded with giant spools of plastic piping that was parked outside the factory. When floodwaters eventually overwhelmed the truck, six people were able to use the piping for flotation and were later rescued. The other six drowned. The TOSHA report notes that several Impact Plastics employees did escape the flood. Some were able to drive or walk over an embankment to a nearby highway after workers at a neighboring business dismantled a fence there. Others escaped by driving over a makeshift path onto nearby railroad tracks that an employee at a neighboring business created with a tractor. Still others were able to escape by walking to the railroad tracks, according to that report. Although the criminal case is being closed, the company still faces a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of Johnny Peterson, and other civil suits are planned. Attorney Luke Widener, who represents the families of several flood victims, said in a statement that they 'categorically disagree that Impact Plastics employees were given any meaningful opportunity to escape. ...Indeed, if Impact Plastics' account were true, Bertha Mendoza, Sibrina Barnett, and the others who perished would still be with us."
The Hill
18-07-2025
- The Hill
The owner of the Tennessee factory where workers drowned after Hurricane Helene won't face charges
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The owner of a factory where six workers died last year in flooding from Hurricane Helene won't face charges after a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation found no criminal wrongdoing. First Judicial District Attorney General Steven Finney announced the decision to close the case on Friday, saying no further action will be taken. The investigation found no evidence that Impact Plastics employees were told they could not leave the factory or that they would be fired if they left, according to a news release from the district attorney. It also found employees had a little more than an hour during which they could have evacuated from the Erwin, Tennessee, industrial park. The conclusion mirrors that of a similar investigation by the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration that found in April that workers had time to evacuate the premises, albeit by makeshift routes. A statement from Impact Plastics attorney Stephen Ross Johnson on Friday said company president and founder Gerald O'Connor welcomes the results of the TBI investigation. 'The true and accurate facts are now known,' the statement reads. Five employees and one contractor who cleaned the offices once a week were killed on Sept. 27 after they were washed away by floodwaters. They were among 12 people who stuck close to the Impact Plastics building, waiting for the water to recede, after realizing the exit road was already submerged. When the water kept rising, they climbed onto the bed of a semitrailer loaded with giant spools of plastic piping that was parked outside the factory. When floodwaters eventually overwhelmed the truck, six people were able to use the piping for flotation and were later rescued. The other six drowned. The TOSHA report notes that several Impact Plastics employees did escape the flood. Some were able to drive or walk over an embankment to a nearby highway after workers at a neighboring business dismantled a fence there. Others escaped by driving over a makeshift path onto nearby railroad tracks that an employee at a neighboring business created with a tractor. Still others were able to escape by walking to the railroad tracks, according to that report. Although the criminal case is being closed, the company still faces a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of Johnny Peterson, and other civil suits are planned. Attorney Luke Widener, who represents the families of several flood victims, said in a statement that they 'categorically disagree that Impact Plastics employees were given any meaningful opportunity to escape. …Indeed, if Impact Plastics' account were true, Bertha Mendoza, Sibrina Barnett, and the others who perished would still be with us.'
Winnipeg Free Press
18-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
The owner of the Tennessee factory where workers drowned after Hurricane Helene won't face charges
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The owner of a factory where six workers died last year in flooding from Hurricane Helene won't face charges after a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation found no criminal wrongdoing. First Judicial District Attorney General Steven Finney announced the decision to close the case on Friday, saying no further action will be taken. The investigation found no evidence that Impact Plastics employees were told they could not leave the factory or that they would be fired if they left, according to a news release from the district attorney. It also found employees had a little more than an hour during which they could have evacuated from the Erwin, Tennessee, industrial park. The conclusion mirrors that of a similar investigation by the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration that found in April that workers had time to evacuate the premises, albeit by makeshift routes. A statement from Impact Plastics attorney Stephen Ross Johnson on Friday said company president and founder Gerald O'Connor welcomes the results of the TBI investigation. 'The true and accurate facts are now known,' the statement reads. Five employees and one contractor who cleaned the offices once a week were killed on Sept. 27 after they were washed away by floodwaters. They were among 12 people who stuck close to the Impact Plastics building, waiting for the water to recede, after realizing the exit road was already submerged. When the water kept rising, they climbed onto the bed of a semitrailer loaded with giant spools of plastic piping that was parked outside the factory. When floodwaters eventually overwhelmed the truck, six people were able to use the piping for flotation and were later rescued. The other six drowned. The TOSHA report notes that several Impact Plastics employees did escape the flood. Some were able to drive or walk over an embankment to a nearby highway after workers at a neighboring business dismantled a fence there. Others escaped by driving over a makeshift path onto nearby railroad tracks that an employee at a neighboring business created with a tractor. Still others were able to escape by walking to the railroad tracks, according to that report. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Although the criminal case is being closed, the company still faces a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of Johnny Peterson, and other civil suits are planned. Attorney Luke Widener, who represents the families of several flood victims, said in a statement that they 'categorically disagree that Impact Plastics employees were given any meaningful opportunity to escape. …Indeed, if Impact Plastics' account were true, Bertha Mendoza, Sibrina Barnett, and the others who perished would still be with us.'
