Dr. John Doke Sherrill III, a 71-year-old family medicine physician from Piney Flats, Tennessee, was found dead at his home on the evening of December 27, 2020. He sustained both gunshot and knife wounds. Dr. Sherrill had practiced medicine for more than three decades, cared for Spanish-speaking and low-income patients, mentored medical students, and provided care for inmates in Bristol, Virginia.

A 911 call was placed by his 48-year-old girlfriend, Teresa Sherrill, who reported that Dr. Sherrill had attacked her. When Sullivan County deputies arrived they found Dr. Sherrill deceased. Teresa Sherrill was arrested and charged with second-degree murder; she has said her actions were in self-defense. A preliminary hearing was held to examine the evidence and the self-defense claim.

Dr. Sherrill’s death deeply affected the community that regarded him as a compassionate, soft-spoken physician. Does anyone have information about the evening of December 27, 2020, or knew Dr. Sherrill and can help clarify what happened?