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Police investigating slayings at late Jean Shepard’s home

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. – Police are investigating exactly what led to two people being killed and one man stabbed at the home of the late Country Music Hall of Fame artist Jean Shepard.

Hendersonville Police Det. Sgt. Jim Vaughn tells news outlets that arriving officers found Shepard’s husband, 79-year-old Benny Birchfield, wounded and bloody outside the home.

Inside, police discovered 21-year-old Travis Sanders shot to death. Birchfield’s granddaughter, 18-year-old Icie Hawkins, was also found with what police described as self-defence wounds and upper body injures. She later died.

Birchfield told police he heard a disturbance and went to the basement, where Sanders confronted him and stabbed him. Birchfield shot Sanders several times.

Vaughn says Birchfield, who was hospitalized, acted in self-defence and won’t face charges in Sanders’ death.

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