HOLLY BOBO CASE FILES
Holly Bobo
Holly Lynn Bobo was a 20-year-old nursing student from Darden, Tennessee, whose 2011 abduction and murder shocked the nation. On the morning of April 13, 2011, Holly disappeared from her family’s home after being seen walking into the woods with an unidentified man in camouflage. Her remains were discovered more than three years later in a remote area, leading to a complex investigation that resulted in multiple arrests, high-profile trials, and a controversial conviction.
Disappearance and Murder of Holly Bobo
Holly Bobo Case Files
Disappearance and Murder of Holly Bobo
Holly Bobo Case File: Timeline
Holly Bobo case drew national attention due to inconsistent witness accounts, missing forensic evidence, shifting testimony, and a key witness who later recanted. This timeline follows Holly from her life and disappearance through the investigation, court proceedings, and post-conviction efforts.
Early Life and Background
- Full name: Holly Lynn Bobo.
- Born October 12, 1990, in Tennessee.
- Daughter of Dana and Karen Bobo, sister to Clint Bobo, and cousin to country singer Whitney Duncan.
- Known by friends as shy, sweet, caring, and devoted.
- Attended the University of Tennessee at Martin, Parsons Center, as a nursing student.
- Known for empathy and a commitment to service.
- 4:00 a.m.: Holly woke up.
- 4:30 a.m.: Holly began studying.
- 7:30 a.m.: Holly’s boyfriend Drew Scott called her. He was turkey hunting that day.
- 7:40 a.m.: A neighbor heard a scream from the Bobo home and told his mother before leaving for work.
- 7:45 a.m.: The neighbor’s mother contacted Karen Bobo through the school secretary.
- 7:50 a.m.: Clint Bobo saw Holly walking into the woods with a man in camouflage. He initially believed the man was her boyfriend.
- 7:55 a.m.: Karen Bobo called 911 from school but reached the wrong county dispatcher. Clint called Holly and Drew and got voicemail.
- Just before 8:00 a.m.: Karen called home again. Clint told her he saw Holly and the man walking toward the woods. Karen told him the man was not Drew and told him to call 911.
- 8:00 a.m.: Clint retrieved a loaded pistol at his mother’s request, walked outside, and saw a puddle of blood near Holly’s car. He then called 911.
- 8:10 a.m.: The first deputy arrived. Authorities came to believe Holly was abducted as she tried to leave for nursing school.
- 8:17 a.m.: Holly’s cell phone pinged while traveling north from the home, later turning off near I-40.
- Holly’s lunchbox was found near Bible Hill Road, several miles from her home.
- Other items, including a SIM card and receipt, were recovered along routes north of Darden.
- Volunteers searched areas near Bible Hill, Yellow Springs, Gooch Road, and Horney Head Creek.
- Community prayer vigils were held one week after Holly vanished.
- Investigators believed they had found Holly’s pink purse on Myracle Town Road. Karen Bobo inspected it and confirmed it was not Holly’s.
- TBI and FBI investigated dozens of leads, including registered sex offender Terry Britt, who was investigated but not charged.
- February 28, 2014: A search warrant was executed at Zachary Adams’ home.
- March 3, 2014: John Dylan Adams was arrested on unrelated charges and claimed he witnessed Holly being raped and killed by Zachary Adams. Zachary Adams was arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping and first-degree murder.
- March 5, 2014: A Decatur County grand jury indicted Zach Adams on first-degree murder and especially aggravated kidnapping charges.
- April 29, 2014: Jason Autry was indicted on felony first-degree murder and especially aggravated kidnapping charges.
- May 29, 2014: Jeffrey and Mark Pearcy were charged with tampering with evidence and accessory after the fact over a rumored video that was never found.
- September 7, 2014: Skeletal remains were found in northern Decatur County.
- September 8 to 10, 2014: Forensic analysis confirmed the remains belonged to Holly Bobo. Cause of death was reported as a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
- February 23, 2015: Shayne Austin was found dead of an apparent suicide after an immunity dispute.
- May 19, 2015: Formal charges were filed for aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape, and first-degree murder against Zach Adams, Dylan Adams, and Jason Autry.
- June 3, 2015: The State announced it would seek the death penalty against Zachary Adams, Dylan Adams, and Jason Autry.
- September 11 to 22, 2017: Zach Adams was tried. Jason Autry provided key testimony claiming he helped dispose of Holly’s body after witnessing her murder.
- September 22, 2017: Zachary Adams was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated rape.
- September 23, 2017: He was sentenced to life without parole plus 50 years.
- January 22, 2018: Dylan Adams accepted an Alford plea and was sentenced to 35 years for facilitation of murder and kidnapping.
- September 16, 2020: Jason Autry was released from prison.
- February 28, 2024: Autry submitted a sworn affidavit recanting his 2017 trial testimony and claimed it was fabricated to obtain a deal.
- June 24, 2024: Autry was sentenced to 228 months on a weapons-felon charge in Benton County.
- January 2025: Zach Adams’ legal team filed for post-conviction relief based on recanted testimony and new evidence.
- May 2025: A multi-day post-conviction hearing addressed Autry’s recantation, law enforcement pressure, cell tower evidence, and witness credibility.
- November 2025: Evidentiary hearing testimony continued in Hardin County, including testimony about private investigative work, prosecution reliance on Autry, ATM footage, and TBI internal issues.
Holly Bobo: Evidence Found
Photo Gallery
Holly Bobo: Evidence Found
The blood collected from the garage matched Holly Bobo DNA evidence
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- Holly Bobo: Evidence Found
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- Holly Bobo: Evidence Found
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- Holly Bobo: Evidence Found
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- Holly Bobo: Evidence Found
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- Holly Bobo: Evidence Found
Disappearance and Murder of Holly Bobo
Holly Bobo Case Files
Disappearance and Murder of Holly Bobo
Holly Bobo Case File: Investigation Timeline
April 13, 2011, Holly Bobo Disappears
- 5:30 a.m., Holly’s father saw her awake in her room.
- 7:30 to 7:45 a.m., neighbor James Barnes heard Holly scream, “Stop! I said stop!” followed by silence.
- Clint Bobo heard voices in the garage and saw his sister walking into the woods with a man in camouflage.
- Clint later noticed blood on the garage floor.
- A massive search began involving TBI, FBI, U.S. Marshals, local law enforcement, SWAT, helicopters, and ground searchers.
- TBI later confirmed the blood found in the garage matched Holly’s DNA.
- April 14, 2011, Gerald Stephens found underwear and a wadded-up paper with Holly’s name near Yellow Springs Road.
- Jon Graves found Holly’s lunchbox in a creek.
- April 24, 2011, Emily Pratt and other searchers found Holly’s cell phone about five miles from her home.
- May 2, 2011, Holly’s SIM card was found near the Bobo home.
- TBI Special Agent Brent Booth and the team initially focused on registered sex offenders, including Terry Britt.
- TBI Special Agent Michael Frizzell analyzed cell tower data showing Holly’s phone moving north and lingering near Yellow Springs and Holladay.
- THP Trooper Warren Rainey focused on Zach Adams after multiple tips and observations.
- Search team members observed Zach Adams vacuuming a black truck and spraying mattresses with a water hose.
- Ernest “Larry” Stone found a human skull under an overturned bucket near a cell tower and Natchez Trace State Park.
- Additional evidence included skull fragments, teeth, personal items, a .308 cartridge casing, and a .410 shotgun shell.
- Autopsy confirmed Holly was shot in the back of the head. Manner of death was homicide.
- May 19, 2015, Zachary Adams, Jason Autry, and John Dylan Adams were indicted by a Decatur County grand jury.
- September 2017, Zach Adams was tried and convicted.
- September 9, 2022, the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals upheld the conviction.
- As of 2025, post-conviction proceedings continued over recanted testimony, ineffective assistance claims, and new evidence disputes.
TBI Agent Booth
Testimony of Agent Booth
Brent Booth, a retired Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent, is known for his involvement in the Holly Bobo investigation. His testimony in the murder trial and later post-conviction proceedings has been extensively reported.
During the trial, Booth admitted that the TBI made significant errors in the initial investigation, including failing to thoroughly check the alibis of Zach Adams, Dylan Adams, Shayne Austin, and Jason Autry, and failing to meticulously review investigative reports that could have provided leads.
Detailed Testimony of TBI Agent Booth
Holly Bobo Case Files
Detailed Testimony of TBI Agent Booth
Detailed testimony summary of TBI Special Agent Brent Booth, State of Tennessee v. Zachary Rye Adams
TBI Special Agent Brent Booth, Testimony Summary
Role in the Case
- Lead TBI agent in the Holly Bobo investigation.
- Oversaw phases from the initial disappearance through recovery of remains and later arrests.
- Booth worked to track Holly’s phone through tower pings.
- The phone appeared to move north and then linger near Yellow Springs and Holladay.
- This area became central because it was near the homes of Zach Adams, Jason Autry, Shayne Austin, and Victor Dinsmore.
- Booth and TBI intensely investigated Terry Britt through surveillance, wiretaps, search warrants, and interviews.
- No connection was found between Britt and Holly’s disappearance.
- Booth conceded the investigation had focused heavily on Britt while failing to verify early alibis of Adams, Autry, Austin, and Dylan Adams.
- On January 25, 2014, Booth received a phone tip that caused him to reevaluate the case file.
- After reviewing records and interviews, Booth concluded the stories of Zach Adams, Jason Autry, Dylan Adams, and Shayne Austin were false.
- In February and March 2014, TBI searched Zach’s and his grandfather’s residences and seized four vehicles.
- More than 500 items were collected for testing, including carpet, mattresses, couches, furniture, blankets, and bedding.
- No physical evidence directly tied Zach to Holly Bobo’s remains.
- Booth helped track the alleged murder weapon through statements involving Jason Autry, Victor Dinsmore, and Shayne Austin.
- A .32-caliber revolver was recovered from a creek in 2017.
- Booth responded to the area where Holly’s skull and bones were found on September 7, 2014.
- Evidence included personal items, bones, skull fragments, a .308 casing, and a .410 shotgun shell.
- Booth testified that Zach Adams, Jason Autry, Dylan Adams, and Shayne Austin were excluded as the source of a palm print found on Holly’s car.
Holly Bobo Case File
Photo Gallery
Holly Bobo Case File
Case File: Evidence
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- Holly Bobo: Evidence Found
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- Holly Bobo: Evidence Found
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- wad of paper with a knife enclosed while searching for Holly Bobo
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- tooth being found belongs to Holly Bobo
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- Hoop earrings found belong to Holly Bobo
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- Holly Bobo Driver’s License
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- A tag was found in the woods along with other items belonging to Holly Bobo
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- The hoop earrings found belong to Holly Bobo
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- Holly Bobo Evidence
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- Holly Bobo’s remains found
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- Ginseng hunters find Holly Bobo’s remains
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- Arrest in the Holly Bobo Case
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- Arrest in the Holly Bobo Case
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- Arrest in the Holly Bobo Case
Detailed Testimony of Law Enforcement
Holly Bobo Case Files
Detailed Testimony of Law Enforcement
Law enforcement testimony summaries from State of Tennessee v. Zachary Rye Adams
Law enforcement testimony summaries from State of Tennessee v. Zachary Rye Adams covered major agents and officers involved in the Holly Bobo investigation.
TBI Special Agent Brent Booth
- Tracked Holly’s cell phone through tower pings.
- Initially pursued Terry Britt with surveillance, wiretaps, and search warrants.
- Admitted investigators failed to verify the alibis of Adams, Autry, Austin, and Dylan Adams early on.
- Shifted focus in January 2014 after a tip and review of suspect statements.
- Analyzed cell tower pings and phone records of suspects.
- Found that between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. on April 13, 2011, none of the suspects’ phones were in use.
- Interviewed Zach Adams and photographed scratches on his arms and legs.
- Zach claimed the scratches were from a prior incident involving Park Ranger Chris Hill.
- Developed Zach Adams as a suspect after asking locals who the “bad guy” was.
- Observed suspicious conduct and organized surveillance and search activity near the Adams property.
- Stephen Young observed Zach vacuuming his black truck and noted two mattresses leaning against the home.
- Dennis McKenzie witnessed Zach vacuuming the truck and washing mattresses with a hose.
- Stopped Zach Adams on April 4, 2011, nine days before Holly disappeared.
- Testified that Zach did not have scratches on his left arm at that time, contradicting a later explanation.
Post Conviction Hearing Timeline
Holly Bobo Case File
Post Conviction Hearing Timeline
Zachary Rye Adams Appeal Proceedings
November 2025 Session, Day 1, Wednesday, November 19, 2025
- The post-conviction hearing resumed in Hardin County Circuit Court in Savannah, Tennessee, before Judge J. Brent Bradberry.
- A retired Memphis police officer hired privately by the Bobo family in 2013 testified and described the investigation as a mess.
- The court heard a February 2014 recording with witness Victor Dinsmore, including discussion about Dylan Adams as the weak link and Zach Adams laying low.
- A Shelby County assistant district attorney testified that Dylan Adams’ information was incomplete and inconsistent.
- He acknowledged the state relied heavily on Jason Autry for the only detailed account of the killing presented at the 2017 trial.
- ATM footage from Parsons around 11:12 a.m. on April 13, 2011, was discussed as part of Adams’ new evidence claim.
- A former TBI agent testified about early focus on Terry Britt, leadership conflict, office morale problems, and internal concerns about the direction of the investigation.
- Zachary Adams testified about his claimed whereabouts on April 13, 2011.
- He placed himself with Dylan Adams and Shayne Austin near a bank drive-through ATM in Parsons around 11 a.m.
- He testified that interior ATM footage could have supported his timeline and contradicted the state’s theory.
- Under cross-examination, he acknowledged heavy daily drug use in 2011.
- The former lead prosecutor testified about the 2017 trial, the decision not to call Dylan Adams, and the state’s position that the ATM footage was not exculpatory.
- Jennifer Thompson, Zach’s lead trial attorney, testified about ineffective assistance claims, discovery problems, judicial hostility, prosecutorial conduct, and her mental health during the trial period.
- She said the Parsons bank ATM video was buried in four terabytes of discovery, mislabeled, and not identified in the prosecution’s discovery list.
- She described pressure from other attorneys to get Zach to plead guilty, but said she resisted because she believed he was innocent.
- She testified about a conflict over GoPro recordings, a lack of defense support, late witness lists, missed objections, and a failure to challenge parts of the state’s timeline.
- She stated she did not believe she was competent at the time of trial and believed she was mentally overwhelmed, undermanned, and unsupported.
State v. Zachary Adams Case Documents
Case Records
State v. Zachary Adams Case Documents
Official filings from the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts media page for State v. Zachary Adams.
