Tennessee felon who was involved in the murder of Holly Bobo is arrested again on drug and weapon charges - just three months after being released from prison
A convicted felon who was released from prison after his trial testimony helped convict a Tennessee man in the slaying of nursing student Holly Bobo has been arrested and charged with weapons and drug offenses.
Jason Autry was arrested near a rural field in Benton County after he tried to run away from a sheriff's deputy last Thursday, according to federal and state court documents.
He was originally found by a deputy laying down in the field, located off of Interstate 40. He was first checked on and then let go, but an officer quickly chased him down after discovering a Marlin 30/30 rifle laying on the ground where he'd just been perched.
As deputies approached him for the second time, Autry reportedly started running before collapsing the the ground.
When questioned about the rifle he told officers he'd been out deer hunting, documents say.
As a convicted felon Autry, who has been convicted of 10 felonies in state and federal court, was not allowed to have the weapon in his possession, authorities said.
He was also found to be in possession of methamphetamine, according to police.
He had only been released from prison in September after being sentenced to eight years for his involvement in the 2011 rape and murder of Holly Bobo. He was then immediately released as part of a plea deal struck with prosecutors for testifying at the 2017 trial of Zachery Adams
Bobo was 20 when she vanished from her family's home in rural Parsons, Tennessee, in April 2011, prompting a massive search of woods, fields and farms. Her body was found three years later
Autry has been charged in federal court with possessing a gun as a felon. He has also been charged in state court with drug possession and evading arrest. Court records do not show if he has a lawyer.
Autry, who had been incarcerated since 2011, was released from prison in September immediately after being sentenced to eight years for his involvement in the 2011 kidnapping, rape and murder of Bobo.
Bobo was 20 when she vanished from her family's home in rural Parsons, Tennessee, in April 2011, prompting a massive search of woods, fields and farms.
Her remains were found more than three years later, in September 2014, in woods not far from her home, about 100 miles southwest of Nashville.
Autry was charged in the case, along with Zach and Dylan Adams. Zach Adams was convicted of murder, especially aggravated kidnapping and aggravated rape on the strength of Autry’s testimony at trial in 2017 and sentenced to life in prison. Dylan Adams, meanwhile, reached a plea deal for 35 years.
Autry received leniency and struck a deal with prosecutors in return for his detailed, graphic testimony about Bobo's murder. Autry said he served as a lookout as Adams fatally shot Bobo under a bridge near a river.
'It sounded like, boom, boom, boom, underneath that bridge. It was just one shot but it echoed,' Autry testified. 'Birds went everywhere, all up under that bridge. Then just dead silence for just a second.'
Judge McGinley praised Autry's hours-long testimony.
'His testimony was some of the most credible, persuasive testimony I've ever heard given in a courtroom,' the judge said at Autry's September 14 sentencing.
Jason Autry pictured above in September 2017 identifying Zachery Adams during his testimony on day four of the Holly Bobo murder trial in Savannah, Tennessee
Autry was charged in the case, along with Zach and Dylan Adams. Zach Adams (above) was convicted of murder, especially aggravated kidnapping and aggravated rape on the strength of Autry’s testimony at trial in 2017 and sentenced to life in prison
Dana Bobo, left, father of Holly Bobo testifies in the trial of Zachary Adams as a photo of Holly Bobo is displayed in Savannah court
Autry was credited with time served and released from prison hours later.
However, he is now back in jail after the encounter with a sheriff's deputy in Benton County, about 85 miles west of Nashville.
The deputy saw Autry lying in a field and searched him for weapons, finding none, according to an affidavit filed in federal court by Ashley Robertson, a task force officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
As a convicted felon Autry, who has been convicted of 10 felonies in state and federal court, was not allowed to have the weapon in his possession, authorities said
Deputy Stacey Bostwick let Autry go after finding no pending arrest warrants. Bostwick then searched the area and found a rifle, the affidavit said.
The deputy returned to his car and followed Autry, finding him walking down a driveway of a home in Holladay, the affidavit said. Autry ran toward the home, but stopped when ordered by Bostwick, who asked him about the rifle.
'Autry said he had been attempting to shoot a deer with the gun and that he had lied down in the field when he observed Deputy Bostwick's patrol car,' the affidavit said.
Autry also had a small cellophane wrapper with 'a clear crystal rock type substance' that Autry said was meth, state arrest warrants said.
Autry faces at least 15 years in prison if convicted of the federal weapons charge.
District Attorney Matt Stowe called Autry 'extremely dangerous,' and said 'there's going to be a lot of people sleeping safer in Benton, Decatur and throughout the district tonight.'
'There are a lot of folks who will be very excited at the prospect of Jason Autry being potentially locked up again,' Stowe told NewsChannel5.
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