Jim Adkisson

Case record: Jim Adkisson

Timeline

• July 27, 2008 — Jim David Adkisson entered the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee and opened fire with a shotgun during a youth performance of Annie Jr., killing two people and wounding multiple others; he was restrained by church members and arrested by police after the 911 call.
• February 4, 2009 — Lawyers representing Adkisson announced that he would plead guilty to two counts of murder, accepting a life sentence without possibility of parole.
• February 9, 2009 — Adkisson pleaded guilty to killing two people and wounding six others and was sentenced to life in prison without parole by Criminal Court Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz.
• March 12, 2009 — Prosecutors opened their case file after Adkisson pleaded guilty.

Background

Jim Adkisson (born June 25, 1950) was a former private in the United States Army from 1974 to 1977. Army records show he was a helicopter repairman, rising from a private to specialist and then returning to private before being discharged in late 1977.

Adkisson said he was motivated by hatred of Democrats, liberals, African Americans and homosexuals. He said he had targeted the church because of its liberal teachings and because he believed all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country; he also said the Democrats had tied his country’s hands in the war on terror and had ruined every institution in America with the aid of major media outlets.

Adkisson said he would target those who had voted Democrats into office when he could not reach the leaders of the liberal movement. In statements recorded after the shooting, he said he planned the attack because he believed Democrats and the church’s liberal politics were responsible for his “woes.”

Adkisson’s manifesto cited inability to find a job and that his food stamps were being cut. His manifesto stated that he intended to keep shooting until police arrived and expected to be killed by police. The manifesto included the Democratic members of the House and Senate and included “100 People Who Are Screwing Up America” by Bernard Goldberg in his list of wished-for targets.

One of Adkisson’s former wives had been a member of the church where the attack occurred in the 1990s.

Adkisson’s fifth wife, Liza Alexander, divorced him in 2000 and had been described as having attended the church and convinced him to work as a counselor at Unitarian youth camps. Before the divorce, Alexander obtained a protection order, claiming Adkisson threatened “to blow my brains out and then blow his own brains out.” Alexander said she was “in fear for my life and what he might do.”

Catherine Murray, who was friends with the couple, told police Adkisson had drug and alcohol problems and “basically was afraid of anybody or anything that was not like him.”

Adkisson had worked a series of industrial jobs, including as a pipe worker at a Tennessee Valley Authority nuclear plant and on the Saturn Corp. auto assembly line, until 2006. He complained in his suicide note and later in his interview with police that he was always being laid off and his prospects were growing slim as he got older.

Police investigators described Adkisson as a “stranger” to the congregation.

Adkisson told authorities he had no next of kin or family. He lived about a 20-minute drive from the Unitarian church.

The offence

On July 27, 2008, a politically motivated fatal shooting took place at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. The Unitarian Universalist church hosted a youth performance of Annie Jr.. Some 200 people were watching the performance by 25 children when Adkisson entered the church and opened fire on the audience.

At first, people thought the loud bangs of the gunshots were part of the play.

Adkisson pulled a Remington Model 48 12-gauge shotgun out of a guitar case and began firing. He later pulled a sawed-off shotgun from a guitar case and fired during the children’s performance. Police said witnesses watched the performance and then observed the shooting as it began.

A church member (Greg McKendry) deliberately stood in front of the gunman to protect others and was killed at the scene. Later that night, a 61-year-old woman, Linda Kraeger, died from wounds suffered during the attack.

Others injured by shotgun blasts included Tammy Sommers and visitors John Worth, Joe Barnhart, Jack Barnhart, and Linda Chavez. Allison Lee was injured while escaping with her young children.

Adkisson was stopped when church members John Bohstedt, Robert Birdwell, Arthur Bolds, and Terry Uselton and visitor Jamie Parkey restrained him.

During calls and response, an officer reported Adkisson was in custody shortly after the 911 call, and ambulance services arrived only minutes later.

Investigation

A four-page suicide note was left in Adkisson’s SUV in the church parking lot. In it, he described the attack as “a hate crime,” “a political protest” and “a symbolic killing.” He railed against extending constitutional rights to terrorists at Guantanamo Bay and against the news media being “the propaganda wing of the Democrat Party,” and said he would like to kill every major Democrat in Congress. He said because he could not get to the leaders of the liberal movement, he would target “the foot soldiers, the (expletive) liberals that vote in these traitorous people.” He also concluded:

“I’d like to encourage other like-minded people to do what I’ve done. If life ain’t worth living anymore don’t just kill yourself. Do something for your country before you go. Go kill liberals.”

Adkisson made statements that he intended to keep firing until police arrived and that he fully expected to be killed by responding police. He also wrote that he planned to take a lot of casualties.

A police affidavit used to get a search warrant for Adkisson’s home included an investigator’s statement that Adkisson admitted to the shooting and said he had targeted the church because of its liberal teachings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country; he also said the Democrats had tied his country’s hands in the war on terror and had ruined every institution in America with the aid of the major media outlets. An investigator identified in the affidavit was Steve Still.

Evidence showed Adkisson bought the shotgun a month before the attack, sawed off the barrel at his home, and carried the weapon into the church in a guitar case he had purchased two days before the shooting. Police said Adkisson had more than 70 shotgun shells with him and planned to keep firing until officers killed him. In his manifesto he had a waist satchel with more ammunition totaling 76 shells of #4 shot.

A .38-caliber handgun was found in his home.

Investigators reviewed several video recordings of the performance by parents and church members. Police would not release videos or Adkisson’s letter until they had been analyzed for evidence.

Arrest

Police arrived at 10:21 a.m., three minutes after getting the 911 call and arrested Adkisson.

Trial

At his first court appearance, Adkisson waived his rights to the preliminary hearing and requested the case go directly to the grand jury.

Adkisson was represented by public defender Mark Stephens. Stephens said the move was taken to get the case to trial stage as quickly as possible so resources would become available for a mental health assessment of Adkisson, indicating a possible insanity defense.

At a scheduled court date set at the time of arraignment, a trial date of March 16, 2009 was set. Adkisson remained in jail on a $1 million bond.

According to a report, Adkisson was arraigned that day on charges of murder and attempted murder. More charges were expected, including potential federal charges; it was said the FBI had opened a civil-rights probe.

Sentencing

On February 4, 2009, lawyers representing Adkisson announced that he would plead guilty to two counts of murder, accepting a life sentence without possibility of parole.

On February 9, 2009, Adkisson pleaded guilty to killing two people and wounding six others. He told Criminal Court Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz:

“Yes, Ma’am, I am guilty as charged.”

A mental health expert had determined that Adkisson was competent to make the plea, although public defender Mark Stephens was prepared to argue at the trial that his client was insane at the time the crime was committed.

During sentencing, victims and church members wept as the prosecutor described the wounds that killed Greg McKendry and Linda Kraeger. The judge gave Adkisson a chance to address members of the congregation before sentencing him. Adkisson replied:

“No, ma’am,” he snapped. “I have nothing to say.”

Adkisson was sentenced to life in prison without parole on February 9, 2009.

Assistant District Attorney Leslie Nassios said Adkisson gave a statement to police showing that he planned the attack on the church because he believed that Democrats and the church’s liberal politics “were responsible for his woes.”

Appeals

No appeal information was included.

Outcome

Adkisson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole on February 9, 2009.

As of 2013, Adkisson (TOMIS ID 00450456) was incarcerated in the Northwest Correctional Complex (NWCX) prison of the Tennessee Department of Corrections. He had been incarcerated since July 27, 2008.

Aftermath

Many Unitarian Universalist congregations held special vigils and services in response to the shooting.

The Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church scheduled a rededication ceremony on August 3, 2008, at which the Rev. Dr. John A. Buehrens spoke. The UUA president, Rev. William G. Sinkford, spoke at a vigil held at Second Presbyterian Church in Knoxville on July 28, 2008.

A relief fund was created by the Unitarian Universalist Association and its Thomas Jefferson District to aid those affected by the shooting.

On August 10, 2008, the Unitarian Universalist Association took out a full-page ad in the New York Times. The ad message was:

“Our Doors and Our Hearts Will Remain Open”

The TVUUC Board voted to rename the “greeting hall” to honor Greg McKendry and to rename the church library to honor Linda Kraeger. An oil painting of Greg McKendry was hung over the fireplace in the greeting hall. The church honored them during a 60th anniversary celebration.

At the memorial service, the Rev. William Sinkford told an overflow crowd:

“We’re here tonight to make sense of the senseless”

Victims and attendees

Greg McKendry, a longtime church member and usher, died at the scene. He was described as a 60-year-old who deliberately blocked the shots from hitting others.

Linda Kraeger died later that night from wounds suffered during the attack. She was described as a 61-year-old woman.

Other injured individuals included Tammy Sommers; John Worth; Joe Barnhart; Jack Barnhart; Linda Chavez; and Allison Lee.

Reported injuries included two survivors each losing vision in one eye, one person being left in a coma for several days, and another person enduring several follow-up surgeries.

Tammy Sommers said:

“I think I am going to move on,”
“But he is in prison ... and I want him to stay in prison.”

Vicki Masters, who directed the children’s play, said:

“When he came into the courtroom, he had a look of sheer evil on his face. He really did. Evil as well as arrogance,”

Brian Griffin, who directed the Sunday school program, said:

“He is in the right place, and I am very satisfied,”
“This is justice. He is gone.”

Jamie Parkey described restraining Adkisson and said:

“I jumped up to join them,”
“When I got there, they were already wrestling with him. The gun was in the air. Somebody grabbed the gun and we just kind of dog-piled him to the floor. I knew a police suppression hold, and I sat on him until police came.”

Parkey’s wife, Amy Broyles, said:

“He turned the gun on people who were mostly likely to treat him lovingly and compassionately and be the ones to help someone in that situation.”

Other details

Adkisson’s manifested wished-for targets included “Democratic members of the House and Senate” and “100 People Who Are Screwing Up America” by Bernard Goldberg.

Adkisson wrote in a suicide letter that the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church was “a den of un-American vipers.”

A note described Adkisson as having targeted the church because of its liberal policies, including acceptance of gays and multiracial families, and because he hated the liberal movement.

It was also stated that Adkisson had written a suicide note and intended to keep firing until police arrived and expected to be killed by police.

Adkisson told interrogators he was “crazy” and depressed but had never been diagnosed.

Adkisson’s lawyer said Adkisson rebuffed attempts to pursue an insanity defense.

Adkisson stated:

“I just did what I did today,”
“See if you'd met me in a bar ... on a street, you'd say, 'Well, that's a nice fellow.' And I am.”

Adkisson told police he planned to kill every adult in the sanctuary but would spare the children because they also were “victims.” He said:

“I regret that I have but one life to give for my country,”
“I hope I start a movement.”

John Bohstedt said:

“Unbalanced, yes. Bitter, yes. Evil, yes. Insane, not in our ordinary use of the word,”
and said: “There are a lot of people who hate liberals, and if we stir that around in the pot and on the airwaves, eventually there will be people (like Adkisson) ... who get infected by the violent rhetoric and put it into violent action,”
“Do you think there are other Jim Adkissons out there listening to hate speech? I do.”

In relation to the case file after guilty plea, it was stated that prosecutors opened their case file including interviews with investigators and a suicide note left in Adkisson’s car.