A tragic incident unfolded on January 2 as a mother reportedly took the lives of her two sons, her 88-year-old grandmother, and then herself in a quadruple murder-suicide. The father of the sons has now shared his devastation at losing his family.
The bodies were discovered by deputies from the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office during a welfare check at a residence in Waverly, Tennessee. All four individuals had sustained gunshot wounds.
The victims were identified as 4-year-old Arius Thompson, 13-year-old Isaiah Johnson, 88-year-old Evelyn Johnson, and 32-year-old Heather Thompson. Authorities indicated that Heather was responsible for the deaths of the three victims before taking her own life.
Heather, who was separated from her sons’ father Jeremiah Thompson, prompted him to express his grief on social media, describing the loss of his two sons as heartbreaking and referring to them as young children.
Sheriff Chris Davis stated that the investigation found no signs of forced entry and suggested that there were no other individuals involved in the incident. He mentioned that there had been no prior reports of domestic violence or mental health issues at the residence. The motive for the tragedy was not disclosed as the inquiry continued. Davis also confirmed that Evelyn was Heather’s grandmother.
In an emotional interaction with reporters, Sheriff Davis expressed his personal connection to the family, emphasizing the need to handle the situation with respect and care for the affected families.
The father, who works at Subway as a sandwich maker, initiated a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to bring his children back to New Mexico from Tennessee. The campaign has so far raised almost $11,000, nearing its target of $16,000.
In a separate case, a young mother avoided prison after admitting to suffocating her son and engaging in abusive behavior towards him. Emma Rigdon pleaded guilty to child abuse or neglect and was sentenced to five years for each count, to be served concurrently. However, the prison sentence was suspended, and she received credit for time served while in jail.
Rigdon is prohibited from contacting the victim, required to attend anger management classes, and placed on probation for three years following the suspended sentence.