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First degree murder charge filed in riverside shooting

Hardin County Chief Deputy Mike Fielder inspects the vehicle in which a woman drove her dying husband in search of help, stopping at a Crump restaurant.

A convicted felon and sex offender who recently moved to Hardin County is facing multiple charges including first degree murder in a Tuesday night shooting near Crump, according to just-released arrest affidavits.
Justin R. Williams, 34, originally of Kimball, Tennessee, but living in Hardin County for over three months, authorities said, has been charged with first degree murder, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, tampering with evidence and violation of the offender registration law.
According to the affidavit for first degree murder, Williams “intentionally and with premeditation shot and killed William Ray Tinker, with a high-powered rifle” on Tuesday night at about 10:47 p.m. Tinker, 32, was from Mercer, Tennessee. The affidavit is signed by Hardin County Chief Deputy Mike Fielder.
Sheriff Sammy Davidson said Tinker was shot in the chest with a .30-.30 caliber rifle in an incident near Perkins Bluff just outside of Crump, the sheriff said. Tinker’s wife, Abigail Dawn Kimery, drove him to a nearby restaurant parking lot on U.S. 64 to call for help after he was shot.
Davidson said this morning that Tinker and his wife “had a tent down by the river,” and were said to have been staying there for a “week or two.”
Information developed so far indicates Williams and his wife brought their two minor children to the spot near Perkins Bluff on Tuesday evening so the children could “play in the water,” and the two groups had some communication with each other. That communication developed later on into the evening as a dispute between Williams and Tinker, during which Williams is said to have shot Tinker, the sheriff said.
Davidson said Williams’ wife and two children were present during the dispute and shooting.
Paramedics arriving at the restaurant attempted CPR and other life-saving measures on Tinker, but were unsuccessful.
A responding deputy sheriff radioed for all local law enforcement to be on the lookout for two suspects in a maroon Pontiac, now known to be Williams and his wife, according to Davidson.
The investigation led deputies to Williams at his Borden Loop residence in Crump, where he was apprehended Wednesday morning.
According to an arrest affidavit, officers recovered the high-powered rifle used in the shooting in a shop building at the residence.
The possession of a firearm as a convicted felon charge relates to a conviction for “sexual battery and child molestation” in Trenton, Georgia. The affidavit says that offense was committed with the use or attempted use of force, violence, or a deadly weapon.
As a convicted sex offender, Williams also failed to register with the local sheriff’s department within 48 hours of moving to Hardin County as required by law, an affidavit states.

20 Comments

  1. RosemaryTucker on June 15, 2018 at 12:21 am

    Lock him up and throw away the key.
    I hear we are getting some pretty bad people moving in our county

    • Lizzz on September 22, 2021 at 4:34 pm

      I pray to God that Rosemary nor anyone like her is on the Jury. She has already convicted the guy in her mind, just from an article without knowing any of the evidence or facts. It’s a shame that there are still people with that mind-set in this country…

      The DA in this case does seem like a pretty decent guy…though the case does look like it should have been considered self-defense from the get go. From what I understand, Justin’s wife doesn’t want to be involved, so I really think it’s hurting him to not have any witnesses speaking on his behalf.

    • Chris on September 28, 2021 at 7:05 pm

      Do you know anything about this case at all or are you just jumping to conclusions? The evidence actually points towards the deceased being the bad guy and the shooting being made in self defense. The shooting trajectory puts the rifle being fired from the hip, and he was shot at a distance in the dark, which supports the shooters story that while he was being chased with a knife, he turned around and fired two shots from the hip. It would take a pretty dumb person to shoot from the hip in this scenario if his goal was to actually cause death.

    • M. Denman on January 1, 2022 at 8:33 pm

      Find out all the facts b4 saying just lock him up. He may be innocent.

      • Jc on August 6, 2022 at 4:48 pm

        They somehow need his wife to testify..very weird she wants nothing to do with it in my humble opinion!!

  2. Candy Lewis on December 16, 2019 at 12:56 pm

    Justin Williams is not a bad person. Justin was only defending himself from a drunk man that was trying to flirt with his lady.Tinker hit Justin and hit him again and the gun was in the back seat and it was handed to Justin and he fired a shot in the air to let Tinker know to stop. Justin and Taylor and the kids were trying to leave and then that is when tinker pulled the knife out and stabbed Williams . PEOPLE ASSUME THAT TINKER WAS IN THE RIGHT. BUT HE WAS WRONG AT DOING WHAT HE DID. THERE WAS NO RIGHT IN THIS SITUATION.. Williams Did not intentionally set out to Kill someone this day.The people that says lock him up and throw away the key…. would they say it if the table was turned??? if it were Tinker who pulled the trigger instead????

    • Michelle West on January 28, 2021 at 6:22 pm

      Candy Lewis i dont personally know you but I do know Justin him & my brother are friends! Justin has a heart of God and would do anything to help anyone! But you mess with his family and friends or himself he is going to fight back! Justin is a great guy and a great person to become to know! Thanks for defending him & his name!

      • iAiri xx on September 15, 2021 at 1:12 pm

        I live in MO so forgive me for not knowing, but does TN have the castle law or stand your ground law?!?!
        In my opinion, Justin is innocent! Everyone has the right to defend themselves and protect their woman and children, or any woman and child, no matter if they have a not so perfect past or not. Why would the castle/stand ur ground only apply to people who have never been arrested!! That doesn’t seem fair??! And the way the police and DA go after every silly little thing to lockup vulnerable people for an easy win, yet can’t do any real detective work into serious crimes, is upsetting?!? They didn’t take any crime scene photos that night??! No CSI / evidence collecting??? That’s a shoddy, poor investigation and I feel Justin should be home with his family, not locked up!

      • HeatherRenee_1975 on October 6, 2021 at 5:31 pm

        I just watched this!! The article is sooo terrible, a felon and a convicted sex offender!!! That means any of our husband-ex husbands could be sex offenders as well…just saw this case on secrets, lies and private eyes, Justin shouldn’t even be in jail, no crime scene pics, no videos, facts prove it was definitely a shot from the hip, talk about below terrible police!! Goodnight!! The DA should’ve let him out on a monitor at most…not on a polygraph and bond!! This is exactly why police officers need more education and more pay, this was way below par at best, policing 101 is better than this sh!+ show PD, my grandkids would’ve done a better job than this PD. Good job Heather from secrets, lies and private eyes.

  3. Linda on September 16, 2021 at 11:31 am

    I don’t know any of them but am following the case after seeing it on TV. Of course I haven’t seen all of the evidence, but from what was shown, I don’t understand why they’re even taking it to trial. Hope all works out the way it should, considering you’re really guilty until proven innocent in this country.

    • Jaded on September 18, 2021 at 3:57 am

      Because there is a difference between murder & self defense. TN has the death penalty & dudes life is on the line.

      • Chris on September 28, 2021 at 7:03 pm

        I believe Linda is saying she doesn’t know why the DA is taking it to trial

  4. Jennifer Ficklin on October 26, 2021 at 4:01 am

    This case is absolutely ridiculous, and with NO homicide pictures, videos etc of the actual crime scene, and they are trying to charge Justin with 1st degree murder?!?! Seriously, a man has the right to protect himself and his family, and the proof is in the pudding…. And the defense holds it! The DA was not being an intelligent man, by putting this on trial! This man needs be held liable for self defense, and NOT 1st degree murder! Just because he is new to the county doesn’t mean he is guilty for murder! JuStin got stabbed, and you don’t expect him to try abs defend his family? Doesn’t make any sense, and it’s sad that there is such poor policing everywhere. Articles like these try and make a person guilty before they even go to trial, and there is no justice in America anymore, and that fact is so sad! We need some serious police and legal reform in this country.

  5. Jose on November 18, 2021 at 9:23 am

    Lord help Justin!

  6. Susan on January 10, 2022 at 1:29 pm

    Dose anyone have updates on his trial? I can’t find anything and minus the few articles everything has gone silent.

    • Kay kay on February 3, 2022 at 10:10 pm

      No stab wounds and wife wont talk?

      • Maria Lottino on March 6, 2022 at 9:40 am

        With Respect to all..
        After I watched his Lovely PI trying to clear this man, and after the DA charged him for First Degree Murder, I looked up everything about this case.. And I HUMBLY beg to differ with most of you..
        FIRSTLY.. His Wife won’t help Because She Knows The Truth..
        And IS Living with a Convicted Felon, for Sexual Battery and Child Molestation..This Affidavit states these offenences were committed With Force, Violence and with use of a Deadly Weapon.. It was just a matter of time.. Also With his record He May Have been the Aggressor.. And Carrying A Weapon with Those Charges points to his Violent Charachter..
        Things that the sexy PI never knew when she approached the DA to try to get his case Thrown Out of Court..but the DA knew..
        Maybe The Police Work WAS Shoddy (No Crime scene Photo’s nor witnesses etc.) But Such Men NEVER Change.. And their Charachter Change Like Dr. JEKYL and MR. HYDE after just one drink or Drugs.. I have seen this…
        I do not wish to offend anybody..
        And welcome any news on this case.. And my heart goes out to the poor wife of the deceased who went from camping in a tent by the water to driving wildly for help for her love who bled to death… 💔

        • Nichole on January 23, 2024 at 11:44 am

          I’m so thankful the murderer got 29 yrs with no possibility of parole!! Some say after justice is served it brings closure to the family but that isn’t true. William’s wife now suffers PTSD. She witnessed her husband murdered. She loaded him up in their vehicle to get help. When we finally got to Abigail she still had Williams blood on her. She was in total shock. Our family will never get to see, talk ,laugh with, and his kids will never know their father because Justin decided to take a life. Justin Williams will continue to be able to talk to his family and eventually get to see his family again.

  7. Holly hodfmeyer on February 11, 2022 at 7:31 am

    I’m praying that the good lord takes care of this situation for Justin…with innocent people getting charged with defending your family is wrong…it scares me to even think if I was in that situation…what is this world coming to..just lay down and die the damn da don’t give a damn cause it ain’t their but in the hot seat…..prayers for you Justin…..

  8. Vicki Butterfield on February 19, 2022 at 8:31 am

    Come on! Shoddy police work. Why is this man in jail! The evidence alone prevails it as self defense. Justin hang tight dude. It’s gotta get better!!!

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