Sunday Homicide Suspect in Custody and Details Released by CCSD

CCSD Press Release: 

Cumberland County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a 911 call at

approximately 6:22 P.M. Sunday Evening (09/27/2020) to 25 Christian Road for a

shooting call. Deputies arrived and discovered the victim, Billy Ray Jones (DOB

6/15/1957) deceased inside the home from an apparent gunshot wound as a result of a

homicide. Deputies immediately secured the scene and contacted investigators.

Scene of Shooting on Christian Rd.

Cumberland County Sheriff’s Investigators, Agents from the Tennessee Bureau of

Investigation and members of the 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office responded to

the scene to conduct an investigation. The investigation proceeded and a primary

suspect, Thomas Mack Arnold, Sr. (DOB 10/24/1981) became the focus of the

investigation in which it was believed that he had committed the murder and shot Billy

Ray Jones. The investigation also revealed that Arnold was attempting to flee

Tennessee and go to Florida and that Arnold could possibly be travelling in a green

1997 Mercury Grand Marquis.

Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office contacted multiple Sheriff’s Offices in Georgia near

I-75 and issued a BOLO for the suspect Arnold as well as a green 1997 Mercury Grand

Marquis. At approximately 3:10 A.M. The Crisp County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia

contacted Sheriff Casey Cox and advised him that Crisp County Sheriff’s Deputies had

captured and arrested suspect Arnold as they conducted a traffic stop of a green 1997

Mercury Grand Marquis travelling south on I-75. The suspect Arnold was taken into

custody without incident.

Thomas Mack Arnold, Sr. has been charged with First Degree Murder and will be

extradited back to Tennessee to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office awaiting a

court appearance. The victim will be transported to the Medical Examiner's Office in

Nashville, Tennessee for autopsy and all evidence will be analyzed by the Tennessee

Bureau of Investigation Crime Laboratory.

Sheriff Cox said “I wanted to thank all the multiple agencies who worked together so

well to solve this murder investigation”. He also said “this is a result of teamwork and

multiple law enforcement agencies working great together.” This is the second murder

investigation that agencies responded to, worked, and solved in Cumberland County

this weekend.

The investigation is ongoing and additional releases will be provided as information

becomes available.