Knoxville Police say that a man wanted for attempted murder has been taken into custody.
42-year-old Willie Tolbert, who police say is wanted for two counts of attempted first-degree murder, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and other weapon charges was arrested today (Monday).
On April 9th, Officers responded to an alley behind a home on Brooks Avenue and Tolbert reportedly fired shots at two other men. Fortunately, no one was hit.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 2/4 Tennessee struggled at the plate for the second straight day and was unable to salvage a series win on Sunday, falling 8-2 to Kentucky in the finale at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Vols managed just six hits and two runs, with the side being retired three times following leadoff hits, stalling any offensive momentum. UT also committed two errors and allowed six stolen bases, adding to Kentucky’s 11-hit, eight-run output.
Wildcats’ starter Ben Cleaver earned the win, striking out seven over seven innings. His two earned runs came on a two-run homer by Hunter Ensley.
Ensley’s blast, his seventh of the season, trimmed the deficit to 3-2 in the sixth inning. In the top of the seventh, Cannon Peebles caught a runner stealing, Andrew Fischer made a diving stop for the second out and Nate Snead ended the inning by blowing a fastball by UK leadoff man Tyler Bell for a strikeout. Tennessee recorded just two hits over the final three innings as Kentucky pulled away with five late runs.
Vols’ starter Tegan Kuhns was primed for a solid outing, retiring the first five batters he faced before allowing four straight to reach base before exiting in the second inning. Snead handled the bulk of Sunday’s contest with 3.2 innings, giving up three runs on five hits while striking out two. Brandon Arvidson, Tanner Franklin and Dylan Loy also pitched in relief.
Ensley accounted for all of Tennessee’s offense for the second straight game, going 2-for-4 with a home run to add to his team lead in RBIs, which now sits at 45.
Tennessee will host Lipscomb on Tuesday, April 22. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
Three different individuals have been indicted for murder charges following two separate Knoxville Police Department-led Drug Related Death Task Force investigations into overdose deaths.
Last week, Amanda Martin, DOB 8/21/84, and George Joslin, DOB 9/5/79, were indicted by a Knox County Grand Jury for second-degree murder as well as sale and delivery of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Those indictments were the result of an investigation into the overdose death of a 54-year-old woman at a McCroskey Avenue residence in March 2024.
The investigation revealed that Joslin and Martin supplied the victim with methamphetamine and fentanyl that ultimately resulted in her death. At the time of the indictment, Martin was already in custody for previous charges related to drug distribution. Joslin was located by patrol officers at his McCroskey Avenue home and taken into custody on April 13.
Separately, KPD Drug Related Death Task Force detectives also obtained a grand jury indictment charging Demichael Hines, DOB 5/19/88, with second-degree murder and sale and delivery of fentanyl. That indictment was the result of an investigation into the December 2023 overdose death of an 18-year-old girl at a sober living facility in Fountain City.
Symphony Jones, DOB 11/2/93, was previously indicted for second-degree murder in May 2024 as a result of that investigation. Continued investigation revealed that Hines was the source of drug supply. Hines was taken into custody by members of the KPD’s Community Engagement Response Team following a traffic stop on April 12.
“These indictments are a product of our officers’ resolve to combat the overdose epidemic by holding individuals who recklessly traffic deadly drugs accountable,” Chief Paul Noel said. “Those efforts are making a difference and undoubtedly preventing further unnecessary deaths.”
About the Drug Related Death Task Force
The Drug Related Death Task Force is an inter-agency investigation and prosecution team who examines overdoses that occur in Knox County as a means to combat the opiate epidemic. Founded under the direction of the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA), the task force consists of the Knox County District Attorney General’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration and Knox County Regional Forensic Center. The goal of the task force is to decrease overdoses by holding drug dealers accountable when their drug trafficking leads to overdose deaths. The task force also gains intelligence about the opiate epidemic that can be used by member agencies and others across the country to fight this increasing problem.
The United States Department of Justice says a Blount County is sentenced on child pornography charges.
Maryville Police received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on August 7, 2023 reporting that someone, later identified as 26-year-old Julian Gerdeman, had uploaded child pornography to a Google storage drive.
During the investigation, the DOJ said the IP address came back to the address of Gerdeman’s mother and that he was living in an unattached garage at the time of the tip.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant on August 21st and found 4,324 images of child pornography that Gerdeman had received on various dates.
On April 16, Gerdeman entered a plea agreement for two counts of receipt of Maryville Police and one count of possession of and access with intent to view child pornography and was sentenced to 189 months behind bars. After he is released, the DOJ said he will be on lifetime supervised release and will be required to register with the state’s sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions.
Gerdeman’s mother, Diane Lashmit, was charged with tampering with proceedings and accessory after the fact.
Lashmit is accused of tampering with evidence in Gerdeman’s case. Her trial is now set to begin on July 15th.
GATLINBURG, Tenn. (story courtesy of WVLT) – A woman claims she was bitten and dragged from her home by a black bear this week, according to Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency representative Matthew Cameron.
Cameron said wildlife officers received a report that a woman had been bitten by a black bear and dragged from her porch just after 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
Officials said that when officers arrived at the home on Jefferson Road in Sevier County near Gatlinburg they saw a yearling bear inside a trap that had been set following a previous incident at the same residence last Friday.
Cameron said that earlier incident involved a bear breaking into a vehicle and causing extensive damage, ultimately rendering the vehicle a total loss. Groceries were present inside the vehicle at the time of the break-in.
In addition to the yearling bear in the trap, officers encountered an adult female bear and another yearling bear nearby, Cameron said.
Due to the bears’ behavior and level of habituation and food conditioning, both the adult bear and the third bear were lethally removed due to the risk they posed to public safety. The yearling bear in the trap was also humanely killed in accordance with our wildlife management protocols.Matthew Cameron Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
Officials said that emergency medical services evaluated the woman involved in the incident and determined she had not sustain any injuries or bite marks.
Cameron said that the level of risk posed by these bears was significant and the bears had become food-conditioned and habituated to human presence, resulting in repeated property damage and increasingly bold behavior, including entering vehicles and, ultimately, this human encounter.
Per TWRA protocol called the Human-Bear Conflict Matrix, bears that display this kind of behavior are considered a public safety concern, Cameron said.
Because relocation is not a viable option, particularly in cases involving food conditioning and vehicle break-ins, lethal removal becomes a necessary step to protect public safety, Cameron said to WVLT.
These decisions are never made lightly, and we understand the public’s concern. Our priority is always to ensure the safety of both people and wildlife, and we remain committed to proactive measures to reduce bear conflicts in our communities.Matthew Cameron Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
TWRA encourages residents living in bear country to be proactive and download the At Home Checklist from BearWise.org to learn how to identify and secure items that attract bears. Many bear encounters can be avoided with a few simple preventative steps.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 2/4 Tennessee could not find its rhythm at the plate Saturday night, falling 4-1 to Kentucky in game two of its weekend series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Vols managed just three hits and struck out 15 times as the Wildcats evened the series. UT also committed two errors and allowed 10 stolen bases in a game where little went its way.
Wildcats’ starter Nic McCay earned the win, striking out 12 over 7.2 innings to earn his fourth win on the year. McCay allowed just one unearned run and retired the side in order four times.
Tennessee’s lone run came during a two-out rally in the eighth inning. Gavin Kilen reached second on an outfield error, prompting McCay’s exit. Andrew Fischer followed with a walk, and Hunter Ensley drove in the run with an RBI single to give the crowd a spark, but the comeback fell short.
Vols’ starter Marcus Phillips put forth a gritty effort, tying a career high with eight strikeouts over five innings while allowing two unearned runs on five hits. Brandon Arvidson, AJ Russell, Michael Sharman, Austin Breedlove and Andrew Behnke all tossed scoreless outings in relief, as well.
Russell made his first SEC appearance of the year, pitching 1.2 shutout innings while allowing just one walk in his fourth outing of the season.
Gavin Kilen was one of three Vols to record a hit Saturday night, finishing 1-for-3 with a walk while also reaching on an error to get on base three times. He has now reached base in all 26 games he has started, tallying at least one hit in 23 of them.
Andrew Fischer extended his on-base streak, as well, and has now reached safely in all 39 games this season after drawing two walks on Saturday.
Tennessee will look to win its second straight SEC rubber game on Sunday afternoon after taking down Ole Miss last weekend. First pitch for Sunday’s contest is slated for 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The fourth-ranked Lady Vols secured their first SEC series sweep of the season Saturday, defeating Auburn 4-1 at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
With the win, the Lady Vols (37-9, 12-6 SEC) have now claimed 21 of their last 23 SEC series, posting a 53-16 record with nine sweeps during that stretch. The current run includes three series wins over Auburn, two of which have been sweeps.
Both pitching staffs kept the offenses in check early, but Tennessee struck first in the second inning. After a two-out error extended the frame and a walk loaded the bases, a wild pitch allowed Gabby Leach to score from third, giving the Lady Vols a 1-0 lead.
Tennessee added to its advantage in the fifth with a three-run surge. Senior Kinsey Fiedler opened the inning with a double, and Taylor Pannell was intentionally walked to put two on for McKenna Gibson. Gibson singled to center to bring home Fiedler, and after another intentional walk loaded the bases, Laura Mealer delivered a two-RBI single to right field to make it 4-0.
Auburn (27-20, 4-17 SEC) scratched across a run in the sixth on a two-out RBI single, but the Lady Vols shut the door from there to complete the sweep.
IN THE CIRCLE
Sophomore right-hander Sage Mardjetko earned her 10th win of the season with another strong outing. Making her second start of the weekend, she allowed just one run on three hits and one walk over six innings, striking out five.
Junior Karlyn Pickens came on in the seventh to earn her second save in as many days, giving up just one hit to close out the win.
CHECK THE STATS
Tennessee has now won its last four series against Auburn, sweeping three of them.
Mardjetko was dominant throughout the weekend, picking up two wins while allowing just five runs on eight hits with 13 strikeouts and only one walk.
Pannell continued to shine, going 5-for-8 (.625) in the series with four runs scored, a triple, a home run, two RBIs and a stolen base. She was also intentionally walked three times.
DUE UP
Tennessee wraps up its nonconference and midweek slate Tuesday night, hosting Clemson at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 2/4 Tennessee opened its weekend series against border rival Kentucky with a convincing 8-2 victory on Friday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Volunteers (33-5, 12-4 SEC) put together a complete performance in all three phases to win their third straight game against the Wildcats (20-15, 6-10 SEC) dating back to last season.
After giving up a two-run homer to UK’s Devin Burkes in the first inning, Liam Doyle rebounded to spin yet another gem on the mound, striking out nine in seven innings of work to improve to 7-1 on the year. The junior lefthander allowed just one hit over six scoreless innings following the Wildcats’ two runs on three hits in the opening frame.
Cannon Peebles built off his three-hit day in the series finale at Ole Miss last Sunday with another impressive performance at the dish on Friday night, going 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and a season-high four RBIs.
Peebles three-run homer in the sixth inning gave the Vols some breathing room, increasing their lead to five before the junior catcher added one more insurance run with a solo shot in the eighth to make it 8-2.
Even more impressive was the fact that each of Peebles homers came from opposite sides of the plate.
After hitting consecutive batters and walking another to load the bases with one out in the top of the fifth, Doyle buckled down to retire the next two hitters, including a strikeout of Burkes to escape the jam. The punchout was his 100th of the season, making him the first pitcher in the country to reach the century mark this year.
Four different UT players drove in runs on the night in Peebles, Dean Curley, Dalton Bargo and Reese Chapman, who’s two-out single in the bottom of the first plated a pair of runs to give the Big Orange a 3-2 lead after falling behind early.
Curley also had a solid night at the plate with two hits, including a home run, and two runs scored.
Reliever Tanner Franklin looked impressive out of the bullpen, tossing two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts to finish the game.
Tennessee will aim to clinch the series on Saturday when the two teams meet for game two of the weekend series at 6 p.m. on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
Knoxville, Tenn. — No. 4 Tennessee secured its fifth SEC series victory of the season with a 6-4 win over Auburn on Friday night at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
A five-run second inning powered the Lady Vols (36-9, 11-6 SEC) to their second straight win over the Tigers. Saviya Morgan jump-started the rally with an RBI triple before McKenna Gibson brought in another run with a groundout. Sophia Nugent capped the frame with a three-run homer — her second long ball in as many games and 11th of the season.
Auburn (27-19, 4-16 SEC) struck first with a solo home run in the top of the first, but Tennessee answered immediately. Laura Mealer delivered an RBI single to left in the bottom half to tie the game.
The Tigers threatened again in the fourth and fifth innings, but Tennessee’s bullpen held firm. Junior right-hander Karlyn Pickens entered in the fifth and shut the door, earning her first save of the season. After allowing a leadoff single in the seventh that brought the tying run to the plate, Pickens retired the next three batters to seal the win.
IN THE CIRCLE
Sage Mardjetko (9-2) picked up the win, striking out eight over four innings while allowing four runs on five hits. She opened strong, recording her first five outs via strikeout.
Pickens took over in the fifth and delivered a dominant three-inning save, striking out six and allowing just two hits. She lowered her season ERA to 0.97.
CHECK THE STATS
Taylor Pannell finished 1-for-2 with a triple, two runs scored and two walks. The triple was the third of her career and second of the season. She now has 26 extra-base hits on the year.
Nugent’s home run marked her 11th of the season and her second in as many games.
DUE UP
Tennessee and Auburn will wrap up the series Saturday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.
A grand jury has indicted a Knox County man after a camera was found inside a women’s bathroom at a west Knox County park.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded to the women’s bathroom at Cove Park and found a camera in the ceiling and arrested 33 year-old Tony Lynn Strand.
Strand was indicted on multiple charges including especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, burglary and observation without consent.
The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who used the bathroom between March 24 and April 8 to contact the major crimes unit. You can do so by emailing the detectives at [email protected] with your visit date and a way for them to contact you.
“We are committed to thoroughly investigating these serious charges and ensuring the safety and well-being of our community. We appreciate the urgency and sensitivity of this matter and are dedicated to bringing justice to all affected individuals. We encourage anyone with information to come forward and assist us in this ongoing investigation.” Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler
