SMYRNA, Tenn. (WGNS) — On Tuesday, the Tennessee appeals court has dismissed the appeal of a Rutherford County man convicted on weapons and evidence tampering charges stemming from a 2018 fatal shooting at a Smyrna hotel, ruling that his filing came far too late and did not meet the standard for review.
The case centers on Donavous Jerome Drennon, now 42, who was originally charged with criminal homicide after the July 27, 2018, shooting death of Robert Wilson at the Uptown Suites on President Place in Smyrna. Authorities said the incident began after Wilson attempted to intervene in what witnesses described as Drennon handling a Yorkshire terrier by the scruff of its neck outside his hotel room. According to court records, Wilson confronted Drennon and a physical altercation followed. During that confrontation, Drennon shot Wilson in the chest, killing him.
Police initially considered Drennon armed and dangerous before he later turned himself in to the Smyrna Police Department. He was booked into the Rutherford County Detention Center and held on a $200,000 bond ahead of trial…