January 1, Tennessee Murder Conviction Shaken by Witness Recant

Wyatt’s Take

• Defense pushes for a new trial over made-up testimony.
• The main witness admits to lying under oath about the murder.
• Questions mount about whether justice was really served.

A convicted man in Tennessee is fighting for a new trial after a witness admitted to fabricating his testimony in a high-profile murder case.

The disappearance of Holly Bobo, a young nursing student from rural Tennessee, sparked a large search, with her remains found over three years later. Zachary Adams was one of three charged with her kidnapping and murder, and the only one to go to trial. He was found guilty in 2017 and got a life sentence plus fifty years.

During the trial, witness Jason Autry described how Bobo was kidnapped, assaulted, and killed under a bridge near a river.

“It sounded like, boom, boom, boom, underneath that bridge,” Autry told the jury. “It was just one shot but it echoed. Birds went everywhere, all up under that bridge. Then just dead silence for just a second.”

Investigators never found DNA evidence tying Adams to the crime, so prosecutors relied on testimonies like Autry’s and statements from other inmates. The case had emotional moments, including Bobo’s mother collapsing in court.

Autry later took a plea deal, praised by the judge, and served a lighter sentence before being released in 2020. Adams’ brother also took a plea and got 35 years.

Now, Adams’ new legal push claims that Autry made up his story to save himself, admitting as much to a neuropsychologist and others. This admission came after Autry’s own lawyer said he likely faced conviction if he stayed silent.

“[Autry] had to make it all up,” said Dana McLendon III, one of the attorneys connected to the case.

McLendon added: “He told Dr. Spirko when he left the trial having essentially buried Zach, he felt terrible because he knew that he just put an innocent man in prison.”

Autry reportedly pieced together his false story in jail, using discovery records and cellphone data to make it seem believable.

“So you can ask yourself, how does a man go from a death penalty co-defendant to serving no time extra for that role at all?…the answer is, the prosecution would later say that without Jason Autry’s testimony, they wouldn’t have been able to convict that guy – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

The state prosecutor, Jennifer Nichols, argued Autry’s changed story wasn’t enough without proper legal documents and called such recantations suspect. She says Adams still would have been convicted without Autry because of his own statements.

Last year, a judge dismissed Adams’ request for a new trial, saying that even with the recantation, there wasn’t enough evidence of Adams’ innocence.

“Mr. Autry’s new statements do not leave this Court without serious or substantial doubt that Mr. Adams is actually innocent,” the judge wrote.

This year, Adams tried again in court, but a judge ruled the new video of Autry’s confession was not allowed as evidence. Adams appealed but his case is set to resume in November after his first request was denied.

The defense hopes the conviction will be overturned, saying authorities need to find who really killed Bobo.

“This community was boiling with the need for closure and justice,” said McLendon. “So when you pick a jury from among a pool of people who’ve been waiting to get this case wrapped up for six years, and then they are given perjured testimony and the defense is essentially denied the opportunity to present all of the evidence, including exculpatory evidence, it’s not surprising to me that they got the verdict they got.”

If this case rattles you about the state of justice, you’re not alone. Keep your eye on what happens next as new hearings begin this month.

Wyatt Matters

Cases like this cut deep in small towns where folks expect the truth, not shortcuts or lies. When the justice system relies on shaky testimony, it hurts families and shatters trust in the people meant to protect us. Heartland communities deserve real answers—not just someone to blame.

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