Murfreesboro, TN – Two Rutherford County Sheriff’s detectives were honored Wednesday (10/29/2025) for their swift and compassionate work in solving the murder of 22-year-old Noah Taylor of Smyrna. Detectives Thomas Burnett and Christian Wrather received the SERVPRO Team Bisig Award of Excellence, presented by Gary Farley of SERVPRO of Rutherford County. Taylor was killed in a road rage shooting on July 12, 2025 near the Waldron Road exit off I-24 in La Vergne. Burnett and Wrather, leading the investigation alongside their colleagues in the Criminal Investigations Division, gathered enough evidence to charge two suspects within just six days. But their work didn’t stop at the arrest. Katrina Leonard, Taylor’s mother, had one heartfelt request: could they retrieve her son’s Bible from his car? Burnett promised to try—and delivered. Just before Taylor’s funeral, the detectives handed Leonard the Bible and the news of the arrests.
Farley said the gesture moved him deeply. “I appreciate them and all first responders,” he said. “They are deserving. We are glad to give them the award and we appreciate their service and what they do every day.”
The award also places Burnett and Wrather in the running for national recognition at the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl in Dallas, Texas—a tribute to those who serve with courage and care…