Two men died Friday night following a shooting
incident that took place in the Crab Orchard area of Cumberland County. Robert W. "Bill" Asher,
62, of Grandview (Rhea County), and Albert Keith Patton, 49, of Cumberland County, died from gunshot
wounds received during a home invasion, according to a news release issued by the Cumberland County
Sherriff's office. Gary L. Howard, chief investigator and public information officer for
Cumberland County, said in the release that deputies, investigators and officers from the Tennessee
Highway Patrol responded Friday to 7503 U.S. Highway 70 East to a report of a shooting. On
Tuesday, Debbie Martin, Howard's assistant, said the call came in around 9 p.m. Friday. Asher and
Patton were discovered at the scene suffering from gunshot wounds, according to Howard. Asher was
transported to Cumberland Medical Center where he later died and Patton was airlifted to University
Medical Center in Knoxville where he also later died, Martin said. Sheriff's investigators,
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents, along with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations Violent
Crimes Response Team investigated the incident. Staff from the Cumberland County District
Attorney's office also responded to the scene, and assisted with the investigation throughout Friday
night and into the morning. The homicide is still under investigation, Howard said; however,
several persons have already been charged in connection with the incident. Amanda Spence, 23 of
Crossville, Joshua Hutson, 22, of Oak Ridge, and Alexander Carino, 23 of Crossville, were
arrested over the weekend on two counts of felony murder and booked into Cumberland County Jail in
Crossville. A fourth individual, Cody R. Cofer, 22, of Roane County, was arrested without
inicident on Monday, Martin said. Cofer is charged with two counts of felony murder and conspiracy
to commit aggravated robbery. As of Tuesday afternoon, he was awaiting a bond hearing. A bond
hearing was held Monday for Spence, Hutson, and Carino. "No one was released," Martin said. They are
being held without bond pending a Dec. 4 hearing date, she added.
THE HERALD-NEWS
Serving Dayton, Tenn., and the Rhea County Community Since 1898
3687 Rhea County Highway, P.O. Box 286, Dayton, Tennessee 37321 (423) 775-6111