The widow of a soldier who was found dead and tied up in their home has been charged with his murder – five years after the brutal slaying.
Jacob Bishop, a dedicated member of the Tennessee Army National Guard, was discovered by his mother inside the Lenoir City home on October 1, 2019.
The woman found her son, who was 35 at the time, dead from multiple gunshot wounds and bound by zip ties.
After five years of tireless investigating by the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office – two arrests have finally been made in the case.
Amanda Bishop, wife to the soldier, and Eric Austin Byrd, her distant cousin, were arrested in connection the 2019 murder.
Bishop and his wife had started the paperwork for a divorce – and were tied up in a heated custody battle over their child.
Loudon County Sheriff Jimmy Davis chalked the murder up to an ongoing feud between the married couple that had a devastating ending.
‘They were going over a heated custody battle over their child and we believe this is what sparked the animosity between the two and eventually led to his murder,’ Davis said in a press conference.
Davis could not provide any information on Bishop’s two children.
Both Byrd and Amanda Bishop were charged with first-degree murder and are being held at the Loudon County Detention Center on $1 million bonds.
According to Davis, the arrests came after a thorough and comprehensive investigation that involved multiple difference law enforcement agencies.
‘Today’s arrests mark a crucial step towards justice for Jacob Bishop and his family,’ said Sheriff Davis.
‘This case has remained a top priority for our office, and I commend the relentless efforts of our detectives and partner agencies who have worked tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice.’
‘We hope that these arrests bring some measure of peace to Jacob Bishop’s family and all those affected by this senseless tragedy,’ Sheriff Davis added.
Before his horrific death, Bishop had just returned from a year-long deployment in Poland.
Initial reports stated that Bishop was discovered ‘unconscious and unresponsive’ by his mother at his home before 7.43am on October 1, and once patrol deputies arrived on scene it was quickly determined that foul play was involved.
Law enforcement said at the time that witnesses described a suspicious white SUV that was lurking in the Lenoir City man’s neighborhood in the days before he was gunned down on Shaw Ferry Road North in Northern Loudon County.
The vehicle left the area on the day of the murder, Loudon County Sheriff’s Office said after working for a week to gather evidence from the scene.
Bishop’s partner at the time, Brittany Kindred, pleaded with the public to help find out who is responsible for taking her Tennessee Army National Guard partner’s life.
‘If anyone has any information on this vehicle or anything relating to Jay, we BEG you to contact Loudon Co Sheriff’s Office. WE WILL NOT GIVE UP,’ Kindred posted on Facebook.
She shared a video of the moment they reunited in May and said the clip was to be played at their forthcoming wedding.
Describing herself as a nurse and ‘Urijah & Brayson’s Mommy’ on her profile, Kindred had the day before attended a graveside service with military honors at the Tennessee Veterans Cemetery.
Bishop’s mother Diane has proudly posted images of her Infantryman son on her Facebook profile throughout the years and his own boasts images from his time in Poland.