The Tennessee Star filed a public records request seeking information related to “handwritten words, drawings, and numbers” found on the clothing of Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the Covenant School killer, at the time of the mass shootings.
Michael Patrick Leahy, Tennessee citizen and CEO of Star News Digital Media, Inc., parent company of The Star, filed the records request Thursday morning with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. MNPD officials sent an automatic reply acknowledging receipt of the request.
“MNPD Central Records has received your request and it is being processed,” the message stated.
The records request seeks records related to the “handwritten words, drawings and numbers” found on the clothing of Hale, the shooter in the March 27 mass shootings at Covenant Presbyterian School. Hale was fatally shot by responding police officers less than 15 minutes after she began her deadly attack.
The 28-year-old woman, who identified as a transgender man, covered her clothes in handwritten messages before she stormed into the school, according to an autopsy report.
A New York Post story also notes Hale was carrying a knife inscribed with her chosen name, Aiden.
The autopsy report notes that Hale wore a plastic anklet inscribed with “508407.”
“It’s unclear what was written on her clothes, and the revelation comes as the city faces public records lawsuits to demand the release of Hale’s manifesto and other writings, which were recovered at the crime scene and at her parents’ home,” The Post story states.
The Star is among several plaintiffs in the lawsuit seeking the release of Hale’s manifesto. MNPD and the Metro Nashville government have sought to block the public distribution of the documents.
Star News also has filed a federal lawsuit demanding the Federal Bureau of Investigation turn over its copy of the manifesto.
In the records request filed Friday, The Tennessee Star also is seeking “all electronic and paper communications within the Police Department regarding the ‘handwritten, words, drawings and numbers’ on Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s clothing.” The request also asks for “electronic and paper communications regarding the orange plastic anklet with the inscription ‘508407.’”
The significance or meaning of the numbers is not clear.
Police still haven’t released a motive for Hale’s violent assault. Details from the hand-written messages, drawings and numbers on her clothes — as well as her manifesto and other writings — are expected to shine light on the actions of the former Covenant student.
Hale murdered three 9-year-olds and three adult staff members during her rampage at the private Christian school.
Governor Bill Lee this week issued a proclamation calling for a special legislative session to take up gun-control measures, including a controversial “red flag” bill that many of his GOP allies in the Republican-controlled Tennessee General Assembly say is a non-starter.
Lee’s long-expected call for a special session is in response to the Covenant School shootings.
The governor’s proclamation asks the General Assembly to convene at 4 p.m. on August 21 to address myriad public safety issues.
Lee wants lawmakers to consider a bill creating “temporary mental health orders of protection.” Also referred to as “Extreme Risk Protection Orders,” the tools allow the revocation of Second Amendment rights to individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others.
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M.D. Kittle is the National Political Editor for The Star News Network.
Photo “Audrey Hale” by Metro Nashville Police Department.
I believe it was back in April that Gov Lee told us the killer’s manifesto would be released “soon”. It’s been reported that the TBI has copies of the manifesto. As Gov, cannot the Governor order it released for the purpose of this “special legislative session” ? So why has it not been released already, months ago, IF, IF It was to released soon?? Since this hasn’t happened and apparently won’t, then neither should the special legislative session happen!
And why the secrecy and suppression of this information, which in many other similar criminal murderers, happens in hours??
Rocky, if I wasn’t such a strict First Amendment constructionist I would advocate that your ability to use the acronym “RINO” should be suspended until you learn what a RINO is and/or how to identify one. In our attempt to make the Republican Party a real honest to goodness conservative party that acronym comes in very handy to identify exactly what Republican we don’t want holding office. Overusing “RINO” while applying it inappropriately causes it to lose all effectiveness. Please Rocky, stop doing that.
The Tennessee Star is a much better paper and source for news than the RINO Tennessee Conservative.
The Tennessee Conservative is in the same category as the NYT and the WAPO.
Bill Lee is helping to suppress the manifesto to help him to install the illegal and un-Constitutional pro-criminal anti-Law Enforcement Red Flag Laws.
The Covenant School is also lobbying for this action. Covenant and Bill Lee are in bed together over this to protect the bad actors.
Lamberth’s solution to temporary order of protection (red flag law) asked for by Lee is to make it permanent. Legislation that would not have had any impact on what happened. Are the FBI and MNPD are hiding information from the public. Are they protecting someone or a group of someones. Or is it simply that Audrey Hale was mentally ill and committed a despicable act. Anyone that knew Hale also knew she was mentally unstable. Despite that fact she was allowed to roam about unsupervised.