5 Deputies, 2 Nurses Indicted After TN Preacher Dies In Custody | Crime Alert 7AM 09.04.25

A grand jury in Monroe County, TN has indicted five deputies and two nurses after a 74-year-old preacher's death has been classified as a homicide. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime al Art hourly update, breaking crime news Now. I'm
Nicole Parton. In Tennessee, a grand jury has indicted five
deputies and two nurses from Monroe County following the in
custody death of seventy four year old preacher Elijah Lester Isbel.
His death has been classified a homicide. According to documents.

(00:21):
An autopsy report determined that Isbel's death in February resulted
from heart disease that was made worse by dehydration and
restraint while he was incarcerated at the Monroe County Jail.
Body camera footage from the time of his arrest showed
officers encouraging Isbael to accept medical assistants, which he declined,

(00:42):
leading to his detention on a disorderly conduct charge. Here's
the nine to one one call when a business owner
phoned in to say she thought the preacher was having
a medical emergency. Mary County communication. I love an other
old customers and he's very disorientated right now. No, no,

(01:06):
he's not wanting anything or I've had to let him drive.
He's very dis orientated right now. He's seventy five. They
mayn't know him. Hit Elijah Bill once at jail. Deputies
reported that is Bail became uncooperative, fell in his cell,
and was placed in a restraint chair, where he later
became unresponsive, hanging on on one's hell, Well, we need

(01:34):
MS and right, we have pet on progress. Okay, we'll
find him over there. How long have you been down to?
You know? I do not ring you, old boy? Boy?
Change up? Okay? How long has he been down for?

(01:56):
How long you've been down for? I just I go
give him a hand? All right, I'll let you go.
EMS and first responder head of that way, okay, which
where they need to come to. He was then transported
to the hospital, but was pronounced dead upon arrival. Sheriff

(02:17):
Tommy Jones had suspended five deputies involved in the incident
last month. The indictment now implicates these deputies, along with
two nurses. Nurse Courtney Woods faces charges of criminally negligent homicide.
The following deputies are indicted for misconduct with the intent
to gain a benefit or to harm another Joshua Brown,

(02:39):
Anthony Beard, Joshua Duncan, Michael Longmire, and Tommy Reagan. Additionally,
nurse Greg Mills has been indicted for submitting a false
report In a statement released on Wednesday, Sheriff Jones noted
that the initial autopsy had concluded that Isbel died of
natural causes, leading to the terminatortion of two deputies. At

(03:01):
that time. However, six months later, the medical examiner revised
the cause of death to homicide. Sheriff Jones expressed his
confusion regarding the amendment of the autopsy report. Doctor Suzuki,
the medical examiner, explained that her decision to change the
cause of death followed her review of additional video footage

(03:23):
of Isbel. While restrained. In his statement, Sheriff Jones remarked,
I have thoroughly reviewed all available recordings which were submitted
to the TBI during the initial investigation that commenced the
day after mister Isbel's death. Where policy violations were identified,
appropriate actions have been taken. Do I believe that any

(03:46):
of my staff is guilty of homicide. Absolutely not, The
sheriff said, I have concerns that the investigation may have
been swayed by selective information and outside influences, but I
will continue to fully cooperate rate with the legal process.
According to the sheriff, all seven individuals indicted have posted bond.

(04:06):
He confirmed that deputy's finger Henry Spencer, Duncan, and Reagan
were terminated on Wednesday following their release. Meanwhile, Stephen Hatchett,
the district attorney representing the county, commented, the grand jury
is an independent entity that reached their conclusions based on
the law and facts presented. While some might argue that

(04:28):
additional individuals should have been held accountable for mister Isabel's fate,
it is ultimately the Grand Jury's prerogative to make that determination.
I respect their verdict and will act in accordance with
the law. Count on Crime Alert hourly update to keep
you posted as this case unfolds, or crime and justice

(04:50):
news after this. The search for Travis Decker remains on going,
as officials have confirmed that bones discovered near a Washington
campsite which were initially thought to belong to him, are
not human. A press release from the FBI's Seattle Division

(05:13):
issued on Wednesday clarified that the remains found close to
the Rock Island campground near Leavenworth on August twenty five
and twenty six do not correspond to the missing father.
Travis Decker has been missing since late May, following his
pickup of his three young daughters, Peyton nine, Evelyn eight,
and Olivia five, from their mother, Wendy Decker's residence. A

(05:37):
few days later, on June two, the girls were discovered
dead at the campsite after being reported missing during a
scheduled visitation with their father. He now faces three counts
of first degree murder and one count of kidnapping. In
Wednesday's announcement, Mike Harrington, special Agent in charge of the
FBI Seattle Field Office, said Central Washington University has exist

(06:00):
and the bones and concluded they are not of human origin.
While we do not expect further updates regarding this particular search,
the investigation remains active, he said. Herrington noted that the
extensive search has been ongoing for about three months. During
this time, officials have been diligently working to uncover signs

(06:21):
of his whereabouts and seek any additional evidence related to
the murder of his three daughters and now to Florida,
where authorities have made public the bodycom footage from a
July arrest involving Chuck E. Cheese. The event took place
at the Chuck E. Cheese location in Tallahassee. Court documents

(06:41):
reveal that forty one year old Dremel Jones was arrested
on charges related to credit card theft and fraud. The
newly released video shows officers from the Tallahassee Police Department
entering the establishment where Jones was employed. We're here to
take the mouse into custody, dude, one officer is heard

(07:01):
saying as they walk in. Yes, indeed, said another officer.
They approached Jones, who is dressed as Chucky Cheese, handcuff
him and lead him out the front door. Family and
children are present in watching officers guide Jones to a
police car, removing the mascot's head to communicate. At one point,
a concerned mother voices heard discontent with the police, saying,

(07:25):
you're arresting Chucky Cheese in front of my children. The
parents are not pleased with us, said one officer to
his colleague. Too bad, said the officer. Jones faces allegations
of stealing a credit card and using it fraudulently. While
searching him, officers discovered receipts associated with that fraudulent transaction.

(07:46):
Jones was subsequently booked into the Leon County Jail for
the latest crime injustice news, follow Crime Alert hourly update
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Nicole Parton, an ext