Webb family has authorized a community fund for orphaned children
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According to Knox County Sheriff’s Office, 35-year-old Erik Webb met Sarah at their former residence, 1731 Royal Harbor Drive in West Knox County, at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday.
He was leaving the house when she arrived, but returned to the residence and, according to a neighbor, had an altercation with his estranged spouse in the driveway.
According to KCSO spokesman Martha Dooley, Erik threw his wife’s keys into the garage, entered the house and returned with a kitchen knife. Erik then slit his wife’s throat and stabbed her in the chest in front of two of the couple’s three children, aged 3 and 6.
Erik Webb left his children in the driveway while a neighbor, who witnessed the incident, called 911. Sarah Webb was taken to Parkwest Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The children were not physically harmed, and were in charge of “a set of grandparents,” Dooley said.
Erik Webb drove to his parent’s home, where he called a cab and took it to Happy Tails, 717 Ebenezer Road. Once there, Webb shot himself in the head.
She had taken out an order of protection against him, but then had dropped it,” Dooley said, adding there had been “a number” of domestic violence incidents between the couple.
According to KCSO police reports, the first of these incidents was in June 2006, when Erik Webb screamed at Sarah at Happy Tails about spending money, and during which he cut her credit cards. Later that same day, police were again called to the residence, where the Webbs were involved in a verbal altercation.
In September 2008, Sarah called police to “standby because of Jonathan’s past history of violence while he was intoxicated.”
In January 2009, police were called to the home after an incident in which Sarah took Erik’s car keys while he was intoxicated.
“Mrs. Webb stated that the children were terrified and locked themselves in the vehicle to get away from Mr. Webb,” the report stated.
“Mrs. Webb stated that … she was afraid for her and her children’s safety.”
Erik Webb was facing a $750,000 civil lawsuit over an animal cruelty charge from the family of Moxie the beagle, who died after visiting Happy Tails in Nov. 2008. If convicted of the felony charge, Webb could have faced up to 2 years in prison.
It was the fourth lawsuit over a pet’s death filed against Happy Tails since 2005.
In late May, Erik Webb was arrested after wrecking his Jeep Wrangler in a ditch off Westland Drive near Northshore Drive.
He was found lying in the ditch, and according to a police report, was unable to stand. “Due to defendants [sic] being unable to stand officer was unable to conduct field sobriety tests,” the report stated, adding Webb refused a blood alcohol test.
Police investigators found pieces of his Jeep along Clearbrook Drive, where Webb had hit several mailboxes and a tree. According to the police report, Webb had a small dog with him when he was arrested.
He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, first offense drunken driving and for refusing to submit to a blood-alcohol test.
Following the drunk driving incident, KCSO charged Webb with a felony charge of aggravated animal cruelty in Moxie’s death. He was held on $5,000 bond, and posted bond May 28, the day after the incident.
Mourners have been leaving flowers and cards at the Wexford subdivision driveway that was the scene of the murder.
The Webb family has authorized a fund for community members to make donations to benefit the three Webb children: checks can be made payable to First Baptist Concord, with “Webb Children’s Fund” written on the memo line. For more information, call the church at 865-966-9791.
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