Man charged in slaying; victim's body found in Vonore

A judge's gavel is seen in this court tile.
A judge's gavel is seen in this court tile.

Nearly two years after a woman's body was found in a Vonore, Tenn., creek, a man has been charged in her death.

The body of Kelly S. Cozart, 42, was found near Sloan Road in July 2015, but investigators determined she had been killed in Knoxville, according to a news release from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

The release said 10th Judicial District Attorney Steve Crump asked the TBI to investigate along with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office and the Knoxville Police Department.

The trail led to Ryan M. Allen, 62, of Knoxville, who was indicted by a Knoxville grand jury on Tuesday on charges of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse, the release stated.

Allen is being held in the Knox County Jail on a $1 million bond.

Upcoming Events