Audio clip
Steve Strain
Shawn Landolt was indicted Friday in Grundy County on charges of felony murder and aggravated arson in the June death of his brother-in-law, Jeremy Michael Meeks.
THE STORY SO FAR
* June 11: Shawn Landolt has an altercation with his brother-in-law, Jeremy Michael Meeks. Tracy City firefighters respond to a fire at Mr. Meeks’ Shadrick Hill Road home.
* June 12: After the fire is out, firefighters discover Mr. Meeks’ body in the burned-out mobile home. Mr. Landolt is arrested on charges of criminal homicide at the Town and Country Inn on 23rd Street in Chattanooga.
* Aug. 14: During a preliminary hearing, the prosecution reads a statement in which Mr. Landolt’s mother, Sharon Cobelo, says her son told her he killed Mr. Meeks and burned the trailer. Judge William Anderson binds the case over to the grand jury.
After Tracy City firefighters extinguished a June 11 fire that consumed most of Mr. Meeks’ mobile home, they discovered his body on a bed in the rear of the home. His feet hung off the edge of the bed and a hole about 1 x 2 inches was in his chest, officials said.
Assistant District Attorney Steve Strain said autopsy reports indicate that Mr. Meeks died as a result of arson, but did not conclude that he had been shot.
“Felony murder is the same as first-degree murder except that it occurs during the commission of certain felonies,” Mr. Strain said.
Mr. Landolt is being held in the Franklin County Jail on a $100,000 bond.
In August, Special Agent Craig Frost with the Tennessee Fire Marshal’s Office testified at a preliminary hearing that he found a lever-action .30-.30 rifle on the floor about four feet from Mr. Meeks’ body.
Any potential trial could be months away, Mr. Strain said.
“If we can’t resolve the case with a plea, then it will be set for trial,” he said.
Paul Cross, Mr. Landolt’s attorney during the August preliminary trial, could not be reached for comment Friday.
During the August hearing, Mr. Strain read testimony from Mr. Landolt’s mother, Sharon Cobelo, who told investigators that her son said to her over the phone that he’d killed Mr. Meeks and burned his home.
“Obviously, it’s significant evidence for us, certainly,” Mr. Strain said. “We are very comfortable with our evidence.”
Todd South covers courts and the military for the Times Free Press. He has worked at the paper for three years and previously covered crime and safety in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia. Todd’s hometown is Dodge City, Kan. He served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps and deployed to Iraq before returning to school for his journalism degree from the University of Georgia. Todd previously worked at the Anniston (Ala.) Star. Contact Todd ...
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