Inset: Johnny Robert McBee (Knox County District Attorney’s Office). Background: The home where he fatally shot Jerome Nance (Google Maps).
A 61-year-old man in Tennessee will spend the rest of his days behind bars for killing a man who was dating his niece, shooting the 42-year-old victim multiple times and then claiming his revolver fired “accidentally.”
Knox County Criminal Court Judge Steven W. Sword on Thursday ordered Johnny Robert McBee to serve a sentence of life in a state correctional facility for the 2022 slaying of Jerome Nance, authorities announced.
According to a news release from the District Attorney’s Office, a jury found McBee, who has previously been convicted of six felonies, guilty of one count of first-degree murder and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon. His prior convictions include armed robbery, assault with intent to murder, and burglary.
Following the verdict, Sword immediately handed down the life sentence.
During the three-day trial, prosecutors with the Major Crimes Unit explained to jurors what led to the “senseless” killing of Nance.
Officers with the Knoxville Police Department responded on the afternoon of Jan. 30, 2022, to a report of a shooting in the 900 block of Atlantic Avenue in the Oakwood neighborhood. Detectives said the investigation revealed that earlier in the day, McBee and Nance had gotten into an argument over the fact that Nance was romantically involved with McBee’s niece. During the argument, McBee told Nance that he was going to get a gun and kill him, prosecutors said.
“When both men arrived at the Atlantic Avenue address, McBee exited his vehicle with a revolver,” the release states. “When the victim exited his vehicle, McBee fired three shots, killing the victim.”
Following the fatal shooting, McBee fled the scene before police arrived.
During the trial, McBee argued that “the revolver accidentally discharged three times,” however, jurors ultimately did not buy the far-fetched claim.
“This is another senseless loss of life where a verbal argument escalated because a career criminal pulled a gun,” District Attorney Charme Allen said in a statement following the proceedings.
Under Tennessee state law, McBee is required to serve at least 51 years in prison before he will be eligible to meet with the parole board regarding release.
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