ALABAMA MAN ARRESTED AFTER MISTAKING STONE MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL FOR HOTEL
On October 21, 2025, at approximately 7:45 a.m., Crossville Police Officer Corey Kelsch was patrolling the parking lot of Stone Memorial High School when he noticed an unfamiliar man, later identified as 50-year-old Jeffrey Nathan Thornill from Jacksonville, Alabama, walking through the student parking area as students arrived.
Thornill told the officer he had arrived on campus after midnight, mistaking it for a hotel despite passing two gates and a clearly marked school sign. He admitted realizing his error upon seeing the football field but continued walking toward the sound of vehicles to find the interstate. Instead, he found a barn on campus, bypassed a locked gate, and slept under its awning on wood chips to stay warm, with matching debris later observed on his clothing.
After completing the investigation, Officer Kelsch arrested Thornill at 8:44 a.m. for criminal trespassing, obtained a warrant, and transported him to the Cumberland County Justice Center, where the case was cleared by arrest.
