Background

On October 16, 2011 Brooke Nicole Morris’ body was found on a rural Roane County road. She had been shot three times. Almost immediately, a Knox County insurance executive who had repeatedly threatened to kill the 23 year-old Powell, Tennessee woman became a primary “person of interest” in her murder.

 An order of protection that Morris filed against Smoot in 2010, at the Knox County Fourth Circuit Court led authorities to focus their investigation on Smoot, according to District Attorney General Russell Johnson.

 On June 18, 2012 Shawn Smoot was indicted on the murder charge. He failed to show up for court on June 25, but was later found hiding in Mississippi. Smoot was eventually arrested and returned to Roane County. One would have thought that the court would have learned that Smoot was untrustworthy and would run again if given the opportunity. However, Roane County Judge E. Eugene Eblen did the unthinkable and set bond once again for $250,000.

Late in the evening of April 21, 2014, while free on bond Shawn Smoot was arrested for DUI and resisting arrest in Chattanooga, TN. Smoot was taken into custody where he remains at present. However, once again the system is looking at giving Smoot a third opportunity to run from the law!

 On Friday, November 20, 2015, Judge Elben stated Smoot could potentially be released on bond in December, at the request of his fifth attorney, Robert Jolley.

 Tina Gregg, mother of Brooke Morris, is outraged that once again the judicial system is giving Shawn Smoot another opportunity to be released until the new trial date of March 16, 2016. " I can't imagine they would let him out on bond. That's all I can do is hope and pray they won't let him out. It cost God knows how much money to go find him and bring him back so surely this judge wont' let him out again," she said.

Prosecutors say the evidence against Smoot is strong and will clearly point to him as being directly responsible for the murder of Brooke Morris.

 Please help us keep accused murderer Shawn Smoot off the streets until his case can be heard! As the old saying goes, “fool me once--shame on you, fool me twice--shame on me! Let Judge Elben know you believe this defendant has had more than enough opportunities to run and the citizens of Tennessee don’t want him to have yet another chance to flee!

Petition: Deny Bond to Shawn Smoot

 To the Honorable Russell Johnson, District Attorney General, Ninth Judicial District of Tennessee and Judge E. Eugene Eblen:

We the citizens of Tennessee strongly object to the potential bond release of Shawn Smoot, accused murderer of Brooke Nicole Morris. Twice Mr. Smoot has shown his defiance of the court by running and ignoring the orders of his previous bond releases. We firmly believe that he will run again if given the opportunity, putting other citizens’ lives at risk, delaying a trial that has already been excessively delayed, and costing tax-payers needless funds to recover him. We respectfully ask that you honor this request in light of the seriousness of the crime committed and on the record of Shawn Smoot’s previous behavior. If ever there was a time to err on the side of caution, we believe this is that time.

 Respectfully,