A Bradley County, Tennessee, man will serve almost two decades in state prison after entering a guilty plea Tuesday to a reduced charge of second-degree murder in the 2021 death of a 32-year-old Cleveland, Tennessee, woman whose body was found on a rural farm.
Billy Blasingim, 45, was originally charged April 20, 2022, with first-degree murder. The charge came eight months after the body of Carissa Diane Hamby was found in a field along Lower River Road in North Bradley County on Aug. 5, 2021, according to a news release from Bradley County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Paul Allen.
Hamby's decomposing remains were officially identified four days after her body was found, investigators said in 2021.
An extensive investigation into Hamby's slaying showed the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and Blasingim was responsible, Allen said.
(READ MORE: Bradley County homeowner finds man's body in closet after alleged burglary)
In his plea, Blasingim was sentenced to 19 years in the Tennessee Department of Correction on a conviction for second-degree murder. Blasingim's sentence must be served at 100% and will be consecutive to other state and federal sentences he is already serving, Bradley County Circuit Court officials said. Officials were unable to provide details on those sentences.
Blasingim has other convictions that stem from charges from more than a decade ago in Kentucky.
(READ MORE: Rhea County man gets 20 years in prison for Bradley County woman's slaying)
Blasingim was convicted on several felonies linked to incidents in the town of Fulton on the Tennessee-Kentucky border, and Ballard County, near Paducah, that happened in 2010 and 2011, Kentucky Department of Corrections records show. Those convictions were on charges of theft, burglary and bail jumping.
Officials in Bradley County said Blasingim is awaiting transfer to Tennessee Department of Correction custody.
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.
Staff Photo by Ben Benton / The Bradley County Sheriff's Office is seen Jan. 5.