Greeneville, TN: Murder-Suicide Seen As Possible In Shooting Deaths

Published: 11:23 AM, 11/02/2009 Last updated: 2:09 PM, 11/02/2009


Source: The Greeneville Sun

Johnny Heck Jr.,

Elizabeth Powell

Found Dead From

Gunshot Wounds

BY BILL JONES

STAFF WRITER

Greene County sheriff's deputies are investigating the shooting deaths Sunday of a man and a woman at an Oasis Road residence as a possible murder-suicide.

Greene County Sheriff Steve Burns this morning identified the victims as Johnny Heck, Jr., 50, of 2003 Oasis Road, and Elizabeth Powell, 44, of Gilbreath Road.

Burns described Heck and Powell as acquaintances and noted that Powell was believed to have occasionally stayed at Heck's residence.

"We are working it right now as a murder-suicide, but the case is still under investigation," the sheriff said.

Burns declined to speculate about a motive.

Deputies responded about 5:30 p.m. Sunday to Heck's residence at 2003 Oasis Road in western Greene County after a member of Heck's family found the bodies inside the house.

"They (Heck's family) hadn't had any contact (with Heck) all day and went to check," Burns said.

The sheriff said both Heck and Powell had suffered apparent gunshot wounds and that the house was "secure," indicating that no one had forced their way into the residence before the shootings took place.

"We recovered a shotgun at the scene," the sheriff said.

The bodies of Heck and Powell were being sent to the Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City for autopsies.

Burns said officers remained on the scene until about 10:30 p.m. Sunday and that detectives were continuing their investigation today.