On Tuesday, Feb. 6, WKRN's Larry Flowers reported Brandon Bowling was sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and aggravated rape of Heather Maples in 2015.
Maples, 22 at the time of her death, was found dead Aug. 5, 2015, in her apartment near MTSU campus.
Detectives from the Murfreesboro Police Department discovered a bloody fingerprint on Maples' mattress and video from a cell phone that implicated Bowling in the crime.
Bowling entered his plea before his scheduled trial date in June. He was sentenced to 40 years at 100 percent for second-degree murder and 15 years for aggravated rape. This sentences will be served concurrently.
Read Flower's story to hear from Heather Maples' mother.
County probationers owed $14.3M
A federal judge has given preliminary approval to a $14.3 million class-action settlement against Rutherford County and Providence Community Corrections, according to an article in The Murfreesboro Post.
Members of the settlement class must have been required to pay court-ordered fines, fees or costs from a misdemeanor or traffic case in Rutherford County from Oct. 1, 2011, to Oct. 5, 2017, and was supervised by PCC or Rutherford County’s probation department, according to the website www.pccrutherfordsettlement.com.
If you think you might be eligible, visit the website or call (888) 805-9210.
Claims must be filed by April 27.
The case action suit was filed in October 2015 after news reports outlined the possible charging of excessive fees by PCC. The company surrendered its private probation license in 2016.
The story that never ends
Just when you think the Robert Arnold saga is over, Scott Broden finds another way to bring it back up.
Through the investigation into Arnold, investigators discovered that former deputy Terry McBurney had lied about being a U.S. Citizen when he applied to the Sheriff's Office. McBurney is a native of Ireland.
McBurney pleaded guilty in 2017 to the crime and last week he was ordered to repay the $39,000 he made in bonuses while working for our disgraced sheriff, Broden reported.
If you care, which I'm not sure if I do at this point, you can read more here.
Sewage spill in Smyrna
Two sewer lines broke in Smyrna over the weekend, spilling thousands of gallons of raw sewage and waste water into Stewert Creek, reported Larry Flowers at WKRN.
Smyrna even caught more than 200,000 gallons before it made it to the creek.
In order to control the spill, the town asked workers at Nissan and ViJon factories to hold it until they got home.
Michelle Willard is a freelance journalist who fills her days with social media marketing, politics, true crime, and taking complaints. You can complain to her on Twitter @MichWillard or by email michelle(at)murfreesborovoice.com.
