Chattanooga Times Free Press

Third, final suspect charged in June home invasion that left Estill Springs man dead

- BY BEN BENTON STAFF WRITER Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreep­ress. com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton or at facebook.com/benbenton1.

Franklin County, Tennessee, authoritie­s have arrested the third and final suspect in the June home invasion shooting death of a 51-year-old Estill Springs, Tennessee, man during what police say was a robbery.

Paul Wayne Fletcher, 26, was taken into custody early Monday by U.S. marshals, according to Franklin County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Chris Guess. Fletcher was later transferre­d to the Franklin County Jail, where he’s being held without bond, Guess said.

Fletcher is charged with especially aggravated robbery and criminal homicide. He faces an Oct. 8 appearance in Franklin County General Sessions Court, Guess said in a statement.

Franklin County Sheriff Tim Fuller said Tuesday that Fletcher was captured in Antioch,

Tennessee, and held in Rutherford County until being brought back to the Franklin County Jail.

The third arrest is “quite a relief,” Fuller said.

“Our concern was that someone … is facing a murder charge that hasn’t been captured and what may or may not happen until we get him into custody,” Fuller said. The sheriff thanked the U.S. Marshals Service and Davidson County Sheriff’s Office for help in Fletcher’s capture.

Fletcher is the last of three men sought in the June 27 shooting death of James Eric Hanger at a home on Pleasant Grove Road west of Estill Springs.

Brent Paul Moon, 21, and J’Shaun Laquan Myrick, 19, are already charged in the slaying, officials said.

Moon, 21, was identified June 29 as a person of interest in the slaying and he was taken into custody the next day on a charge of first-degree murder. Myrick was arrested July 9 on charges of criminal homicide and aggravated burglary.

According to authoritie­s, Moon appeared at the Pleasant Grove Road home and asked to speak to the resident of the home, Hanger. Authoritie­s said Moon allegedly entered Hanger’s home and was followed “after a short time” by two other men, later identified as Myrick and Fletcher.

Authoritie­s said one of the men demanded money at gunpoint, an argument began and the deadly shot was fired by one of the men during a struggle for control of the weapon, authoritie­s said. After the shot was fired, all three men fled. Hanger was pronounced dead at the scene.

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