On the evening of Thursday, August 29, 2024, deputies from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department found 39-year-old Earl Craig Asberry Jr. dead in the yard of a residence on Streamer Drive in Smithville, Tennessee. Asberry, who was also known by the name Bubba, had sustained a fatal gunshot wound.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was asked to assist the local probe. Investigators say the focus turned to the homeowner, 66-year-old William McKenzie, who reportedly confessed to shooting Asberry multiple times. Authorities also allege McKenzie tried to conceal the body and intended to remove it from the property.

McKenzie was arrested and charged with one count of second-degree murder and booked into the DeKalb County Jail with bond set at $500,000; he was scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court on September 12, 2024. If anyone has information about what led to this shooting or knew either man, please share what you know.