A Tennessee jury this week found a former teenager guilty of killing his 7-year-old brother and their grandmother, ending a trial that thrust a small Greeneville community into the national spotlight. The verdict came after only a few hours of deliberation and moves the case into a sentencing phase that could keep the defendant behind bars for life.
The defendant, now 20, was 16 at the time of the April 2022 killings at the family home on Old Snapps Ferry Road. Prosecutors say the attacks were carried out with a hammer; the victims were identified as 7-year-old Jessie Allen and 59-year-old Sherry Cole.
Jurors began weighing evidence Friday morning and delivered a unanimous decision shortly after 11 a.m., convicting the defendant on two counts of first-degree murder. The trial immediately shifted into the penalty portion, where the state asked jurors to impose life without parole.
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Throughout the trial the defendant maintained he did not carry out the killings and repeatedly blamed his grandfather, who has denied any involvement. In testimony, the defendant said he feared his grandfather and claimed that fear led him to give a false confession to investigators in April 2022.
Prosecutors countered with the taped statement the defendant made to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, arguing it amounted to an admission of responsibility. They also emphasized the defendant’s actions after the slayings — leaving the home, visiting acquaintances and stores — as evidence that he understood what had occurred.
- When: Fatal attacks occurred in April 2022; trial concluded with guilty verdict this week.
- Where: Family residence on Old Snapps Ferry Road, Greeneville, Tennessee.
- Victims: Jessie Allen, 7, and Sherry Cole, 59.
- Defendant: Jordan Allen, 20 now; 16 at the time of the crimes.
- Charges: Two counts of first-degree murder; sentencing phase underway with prosecutors seeking life without parole.
Medical testimony presented graphic details. The medical examiner testified that the child suffered multiple severe skull fractures and extensive head lacerations, and that any one of several blows could have been fatal. The grandmother had brain bruising, head lacerations and stab wounds to the back of the neck, according to testimony.
The court also explored whether domestic abuse by the grandfather had any role. Under cross-examination the defendant conceded he had not witnessed the grandfather physically harm the victims and acknowledged the older man had not mistreated him. Prosecutors used that testimony to challenge the defense’s theory that fear of the grandfather prompted a false confession.
Family members and neighbors watched the proceedings unfold, and emotions were raw after the verdict. The assistant district attorney said the case left no winners, pointing to the devastation suffered by the grandfather and the wider family — a sentiment echoed by defense attorneys who stressed the tragedy of two lost lives and the heavy toll on surviving relatives.
Now the jury will decide punishment. Tennessee law and recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent mean jurors must carefully weigh the defendant’s age and circumstances at the time of the crimes before deciding whether to impose life without parole or a lesser sentence.
What happens next:
- Sentencing phase continues as both sides present aggravating and mitigating evidence.
- Jurors will vote on whether to recommend life without the possibility of parole.
- The judge will impose the final sentence based on the jury’s recommendation and legal guidelines.
For the Greeneville community, the case underscores difficult questions about juvenile crime, accountability and how the legal system balances youth against the severity of violent offenses. The coming days will determine whether the defendant serves the remainder of his life in prison or receives a different term because of his age at the time of the killings.
