ROCKWOOD, Tenn. (WATE) — A soldier at Fort Bragg faces a second-degree murder charge in connection to a shooting on Christmas Eve in Rockwood that left his uncle dead, said Ninth Judicial District Attorney General Russell Johnson.
Jacob Ryan Corbett Stinnett, 24, of Powell, was arrested on February 23 at his duty post in North Carolina, Johnson said. He is accused of shooting and killing his uncle, Tommy James Cooper, 48, on the night of Christmas Eve 2025. At the time, we reported that Roane County investigators were working with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Cooper was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound in a wooded area near Highway 70 and Fire Tower Road, the TBI said.
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On February 25, Stinnett signed a waiver consenting to be extradited to Tennessee, court records stated.
When asked for a comment, a military spokesperson said, “We are aware of the arrest of Spc. Jacob Stinnett in connection to a shooting that occurred in Rockwood, Tenn., on Dec 24. We are working with local authorities and the Department of the Army Criminal investigation Division.”…