A double homicide on Vickers Ridge Road in Baxter, Tennessee, left a son and his mother dead on the evening of October 15, 2025. Deputies from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office arrived at about 7:40 p.m. to find three people had been shot. The victims identified at the scene were 29-year-old Ceil Martindale and his 68-year-old mother, Karen Carter. A third person was wounded and airlifted to a nearby hospital.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has taken the lead on the inquiry. Early information from law enforcement describes the incident as the result of an altercation involving the three individuals near the roadway, but authorities have not released what precipitated the confrontation. No suspects have been publicly named and no arrests have been announced as the investigation continues.

If anyone who knew Ceil Martindale or Karen Carter, or who was in the area that evening, has information that could help investigators, please come forward.