FORT BRAGG SOLDIER CHARGED WITH 2ND-DEGREE MURDER IN T.B.I. INVESTIGATION
Special agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, working alongside the Roane County Sheriff’s Office, conducted an investigation into a homicide that occurred on December 24 in a wooded area near Highway 70 and Fire Tower Road in Rockwood, Tennessee. Deputies responding to the scene discovered 48-year-old Tommy Cooper deceased from an apparent gunshot wound.
Through their inquiry, authorities identified 24-year-old Jacob Stinnett (born October 1, 2001), a soldier stationed at Fort Bragg, as the individual responsible for the shooting. On February 20, an arrest warrant was issued charging Stinnett with one count of second-degree murder. He was taken into custody on February 23 by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division at Fort Bragg and is currently detained in North Carolina, pending extradition to Tennessee.
The allegations remain accusations only, and Stinnett is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt through the legal process.
Additional reports indicate the incident stemmed from a family dispute, during which another person was injured, and that Cooper was Stinnett’s uncle.
