Trial proceedings for Eric Brandon Garrison are officially on the calendar. The 43-year-old Cumberland County man faces a first-degree murder charge following a fatal shooting on Main Street last summer, with his trial now scheduled to begin on December 2, 2026.

Garrison’s defense team, led by attorney Howard L. Upchurch, filed a Motion for Speedy Trial on July 1, requesting the matter be added to Judge McKenzie’s docket to finalize trial dates and disposition procedures.

Background and Indictment

The charges stem from an incident on August 22, 2025, when Garrison allegedly shot Albert Derrill Sturgill, Jr. in Crossville. Sturgill succumbed to his injuries two days later, on August 24.

While Garrison was initially arrested on August 23, 2025, and charged with second-degree murder, subsequent investigations by law enforcement led prosecutors to present the case to a Grand Jury. On April 7, 2026, after hearing testimony from lead investigator Elizabeth Williams of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), the Cumberland County Grand Jury returned a True Bill of Indictment upgrading the charge to premeditated first-degree murder.

Current Status

Following the upgraded indictment, Garrison was taken into custody on April 8, 2026. He remains held at the Cumberland County Jail on a $1.5 million bond as both sides prepare for the December trial.