The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Murder in Monroe County, Tennessee

Posted on | August 1, 2010 | 14 Comments

A couple weeks ago, Patrick at Political Byline called attention to the murder of Jim Miller in Monroe County, Tennessee. As it was reported July 19:

MADISONVILLE, Tenn. — Investigators are tight lipped, rumors are flying and a community is in shock by the discovery Saturday of a body that is widely believed to be Monroe County Election Commission Chairman Jim Miller, stuffed in the trunk of a burning car.
Late Monday afternoon, it was announced that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation had become the lead agency of the four agencies investigating the case.

Because I was up to my ass in alligators at that time, I didn’t follow up, but the story is intriguing, because Miller’s death had the hallmarks of a mob-style assassination:

The homicide victim tentatively identified as Monroe County Election Commission Chairman Jim Miller had been shot in the head three times, according to authorities.
Tenth District Attorney General Steve Bebb said Thursday he has not seen the autopsy report, but has been informed of the head wounds by law enforcement officers.
“One shot in the back (of the head), two in the front,” Bebb said. “That’s what I’ve been told.”
Bebb told the News Sentinel that Monroe County Deputy Sheriff Kenny Hope, who has been placed on administrative leave in connection with the investigation, is not classified as a suspect.

Still more mystery:

Jim Miller’s friends in Monroe County remain puzzled over the many rumors and theories about who killed the successful businessman, farmer and Republican political figure. . . .
Anderson, Heuer and several others who knew Miller agree on two things: They feel it is highly likely that he was killed by someone he knew, and it probably took more than one person to commit the crime.
Miller was more than six feet tall, stout and strong, and would likely defend himself in a robbery or confrontation, they said.

Conspiracy theories are beginning to swirl, and Dan Collins at Piece of Work in Progress suggests that maybe I should solicit Shoe Leather Fund contributions to go report this story in person. Three problems: (a) I just got back from Vegas five days ago, (b) I just racked y’all for the Stogie Emergency, and (c) my heart was making my next trip to Delaware to cover the Christine O’Donnell campaign.

Nevertheless, so you can get an idea of what’s involved, it’s about 520 miles one-way from my house to Madisonville, Tennessee. At 20 cents a mile for a 1,040-mile round-trip, that’s $208. Throw in three days of meals at $15 a day, three days of cigs at $10 a day, plus a couple nights in a cheap motel at $50 a night — call it $400 total for the trip.

Shall I go to Tennessee? Or Delaware? Perhaps both? And will anyone hit the tip jar enough for either trip so that I’ll have a little leftover to sweeten up Mrs. Other McCain and also buy a few cases of fireworks?

Category: Crime, Shoe Leather Fund, Tennessee

Comments

14 Responses to “Murder in Monroe County, Tennessee”

  1. David R. Graham
    August 2nd, 2010 @ 6:35 am

    No comments on this post as of my writing this one.

    I am not in a position to hit the tip jar. So I have the weakness of not putting my money where my mouth is. With that foremost in mind:

    For what it’s worth, or isn’t, my gut tells me this is the most important story of JUL10, perhaps of the last two years, in the sense of the most foreshadowing of coming events, of the political topography of the USA at this juncture.

    There is near universal agreement now, especially among Americans (i.e., “conservatives” and “libertarians,” or as Safire described himself [and also I], “libertarian conservatives”) that Congress is going to change parties in one or both Houses this year.

    I have said consistently that this is likely not the case. This TN story, in parallel with the fact that so many state election commissioners are of the D party, is what made and continues to make me feel that Congress post-NOV10 will remain in D control — or — that no matter whether even half of it it goes to R control, the droog in the WH will proceed as intending regardless, and even a two-House R Congress would not have courage (i.e., votes) sufficient to charge and then impeach him or his Supreme Court Justices.

    The evil in the land is the professoriate, as I think you know. Indirectly or directly, the professoriate is Afro-Mohammedan Imperialism.

    No, this one still depends on which way the Army’s muzzles point when the country “goes to the mattresses.”

    Stacy, if you go to TN to investigate this incident, the chances are high Mrs. TOM will be a widow.

    I think you know by now that these people are NOT giving up power, period. They will not allow mere votes or voters to remove or even subvert their hegemony.

    The issue is on another field of contest and the sticking point on that field has not been reached. Notice, please, that there are no comments on this post before this one, and that no other responsible blogger, including even Glenn and Dan, has seen this gang-land murder as a significant indicator. More’s the pity, I believe.

    But there it is.

    I am not at all surprised you see it so, that is, that this story as a significant indicator. It is. Please be careful. I know you know the topography of this one. Still, I worry.

    You’re not equipped to face gang-land assets. And you’re right, this is gang-land activity, the gang being the Ds.

  2. David R. Graham
    August 2nd, 2010 @ 2:35 am

    No comments on this post as of my writing this one.

    I am not in a position to hit the tip jar. So I have the weakness of not putting my money where my mouth is. With that foremost in mind:

    For what it’s worth, or isn’t, my gut tells me this is the most important story of JUL10, perhaps of the last two years, in the sense of the most foreshadowing of coming events, of the political topography of the USA at this juncture.

    There is near universal agreement now, especially among Americans (i.e., “conservatives” and “libertarians,” or as Safire described himself [and also I], “libertarian conservatives”) that Congress is going to change parties in one or both Houses this year.

    I have said consistently that this is likely not the case. This TN story, in parallel with the fact that so many state election commissioners are of the D party, is what made and continues to make me feel that Congress post-NOV10 will remain in D control — or — that no matter whether even half of it it goes to R control, the droog in the WH will proceed as intending regardless, and even a two-House R Congress would not have courage (i.e., votes) sufficient to charge and then impeach him or his Supreme Court Justices.

    The evil in the land is the professoriate, as I think you know. Indirectly or directly, the professoriate is Afro-Mohammedan Imperialism.

    No, this one still depends on which way the Army’s muzzles point when the country “goes to the mattresses.”

    Stacy, if you go to TN to investigate this incident, the chances are high Mrs. TOM will be a widow.

    I think you know by now that these people are NOT giving up power, period. They will not allow mere votes or voters to remove or even subvert their hegemony.

    The issue is on another field of contest and the sticking point on that field has not been reached. Notice, please, that there are no comments on this post before this one, and that no other responsible blogger, including even Glenn and Dan, has seen this gang-land murder as a significant indicator. More’s the pity, I believe.

    But there it is.

    I am not at all surprised you see it so, that is, that this story as a significant indicator. It is. Please be careful. I know you know the topography of this one. Still, I worry.

    You’re not equipped to face gang-land assets. And you’re right, this is gang-land activity, the gang being the Ds.

  3. Pat
    August 2nd, 2010 @ 11:56 am

    Thanks Stacy. I’d go with ya. But too cannot afford it. Be careful down there, if you go.

  4. Pat
    August 2nd, 2010 @ 7:56 am

    Thanks Stacy. I’d go with ya. But too cannot afford it. Be careful down there, if you go.

  5. serr8d
    August 2nd, 2010 @ 11:57 am

    There’s always strange things going on in Tennessee politics; this murder is just another hardly atypical Tennessee encounter. Likely this fellow was killed for reasons not involving his political stripe, much less at a significant, national level.

    Here’s an even stranger Tennessee political murder story: Byron “Low Tax” Looper, from the prominent Livingston Looper family, ran for the Tennessee Senate in 1998; wasn’t doing so well in the polls, so he drove up to his opponent’s farm in Cookeville and shot him dead. Looper’s now serving life, therefore costing me tax money. So much for ‘Low Tax’ Looper.

    We here in Tennessee yawned, and moved right along. Just another day.

    What would be a damned shame is if we elect that McWherter scion as Governator. His fat-assed father was governor for year; so fat he had to cut away the governor’s desk to make room for his girth. He got rich making and selling beer near Memphis; and has controlled the beer (and alcohol) distributorships in Tennessee since prohibition I’m thinking. No wonder we can’t buy wine in grocery stores, and it takes an act of Congress (literally) to get a beer permit.

  6. serr8d
    August 2nd, 2010 @ 7:57 am

    There’s always strange things going on in Tennessee politics; this murder is just another hardly atypical Tennessee encounter. Likely this fellow was killed for reasons not involving his political stripe, much less at a significant, national level.

    Here’s an even stranger Tennessee political murder story: Byron “Low Tax” Looper, from the prominent Livingston Looper family, ran for the Tennessee Senate in 1998; wasn’t doing so well in the polls, so he drove up to his opponent’s farm in Cookeville and shot him dead. Looper’s now serving life, therefore costing me tax money. So much for ‘Low Tax’ Looper.

    We here in Tennessee yawned, and moved right along. Just another day.

    What would be a damned shame is if we elect that McWherter scion as Governator. His fat-assed father was governor for year; so fat he had to cut away the governor’s desk to make room for his girth. He got rich making and selling beer near Memphis; and has controlled the beer (and alcohol) distributorships in Tennessee since prohibition I’m thinking. No wonder we can’t buy wine in grocery stores, and it takes an act of Congress (literally) to get a beer permit.

  7. Kojocaro
    August 2nd, 2010 @ 12:01 pm

    Yeah pat dem zionists stole your money

    /Sarc

  8. Kojocaro
    August 2nd, 2010 @ 8:01 am

    Yeah pat dem zionists stole your money

    /Sarc

  9. Dan Collins
    August 2nd, 2010 @ 12:25 pm

    Hell, David, let Stacy go to Delaware, I’ll go to Tennessee, if I can find the scratch to do it. I’ve begun to cover the story at my place, and I resent the insinuation that I’d rather put Stacy in harm’s way than do it myself.

    I just thought that, given he’d covered Sparkman, he ought to get first crack at this thing.

  10. Dan Collins
    August 2nd, 2010 @ 8:25 am

    Hell, David, let Stacy go to Delaware, I’ll go to Tennessee, if I can find the scratch to do it. I’ve begun to cover the story at my place, and I resent the insinuation that I’d rather put Stacy in harm’s way than do it myself.

    I just thought that, given he’d covered Sparkman, he ought to get first crack at this thing.

  11. serr8d
    August 2nd, 2010 @ 1:44 pm

    Come on down, Dan or Stacy. It’s always fun in East Tennessee.

    I’ll bring some guns. ;D

  12. serr8d
    August 2nd, 2010 @ 9:44 am

    Come on down, Dan or Stacy. It’s always fun in East Tennessee.

    I’ll bring some guns. ;D

  13. molonlabe28
    August 2nd, 2010 @ 1:55 pm

    I live about 45 minutes from Madisonville, which is a nice East Tn small town.

    If you come, I would like to take you shooting.

    It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

    So far, it is getting limited media attention.

  14. molonlabe28
    August 2nd, 2010 @ 9:55 am

    I live about 45 minutes from Madisonville, which is a nice East Tn small town.

    If you come, I would like to take you shooting.

    It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

    So far, it is getting limited media attention.