In the last days of 2023, the life of Roger Dillard, a 68-year-old White man, was cut short in his home near Etowah, Tennessee. On the evening of Thursday, December 28, deputies from the McMinn County Sheriff’s Office were called to a residence on County Road 475 for a report of a person with a fatal gunshot wound. Inside, they found Roger Dillard deceased on the living room floor.
At the scene, deputies made contact with Roger’s 46-year-old son, Jason Dillard, who also lived in the home. They also spoke with Haley Martin, who had been outside in the driveway, and Annette Dillard, who lived next door. Investigators recovered a Remington 870 pump shotgun about 20 feet away from Roger’s body. Initially, the circumstances were unclear, but as the investigation continued over the next few days, the possibility of suicide was discounted.
According to Sheriff Joe Guy, an autopsy and other evidence made it clear that Roger Dillard’s death was a homicide.
Investigators determined that an argument had taken place between the father and son just before the fatal shot was fired. A witness, Haley Martin, told authorities she was outside when she heard Roger yell from inside the house, “I’m done with you,” followed by a loud boom. About three minutes later, she saw Jason walk out of the residence and go to the house next door.
Jason Dillard gave conflicting accounts of what happened. He first told authorities he was walking out of the house when he heard a “bang,” went back inside, and found his father with a gunshot wound to his head. In a second interview, he claimed he and his father were the only people inside. He said he was standing in his bedroom doorway when he accidentally knocked over a 12-gauge shotgun that was propped against a wall. He stated the gun went off, hitting his father, who was standing four to five feet away, in the head. He insisted it was an accident and that he would never hurt his father.
On Sunday, December 31, authorities arrested Jason Dillard. He was charged with second-degree criminal homicide in connection with his father's death. He was booked into the McMinn County Justice Center and held on a $200,000 bond. As of January 2024, the case was pending adjudication.
