Covenant Killer Audrey Hale Claimed She ‘Could Have Been Caught’ Preparing for Shooting in ‘Summer of 2021’

Audrey Hale

Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the Covenant School killer, wrote in a journal recovered from her vehicle that she “could have been caught” planning her attack in 2021.

The Tennessee Star on Wednesday confirmed it obtained dozens of pages from the notebook recovered from Hale’s vehicle at the Covenant School from a source familiar with the case.

Read the full story

Covenant Killer Audrey Hale Wrote 3 Pages in Journal About ‘My Imaginary Penis’

Audrey Hale Journal

Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a biological female who identified as a transgender male at the time of her attack, wrote a three-page journal entry titled “My Imaginary Penis” that was included in the writings recovered from her vehicle.

The Tennessee Star confirmed on Wednesday it obtained nearly four dozen pages of Hale’s writings from a source familiar with the Covenant investigation, including the March 11, 2023 entry discussing her desire to have a male anatomy.

Read the full story

Man Accused of Choking Granddaughter at Nashville Public Bus Station in Latest WeGo Incident

WeGo Transit

A man pushed, grabbed, and choked his granddaughter at a downtown public bus station in Nashville in the latest incident related to criminal activity associated with WeGo, WSMV reported.

Metro Nashville Police Department arrested Kevin Figgins, 58, on Monday. He is charged with domestic assault with bodily injury, and his bond has been set at $1,000, according to Davidson County court records.

Read the full story

UT Knoxville Advisory Board Votes to Increase Tuition, Asks for Public Guidance

University of Tennessee, Knoxville Students

The University of Tennessee – Knoxville’s Campus Advisory Board has voted to increase tuition by 2 percent for for in-state students and 4 percent for out-of-state students, the school announced.

“A combination of enrollment growth and state support has allowed us to keep tuition flat for five of the last six years. The costs for delivering high-quality academic programs, however, have continued to rise in that time,” said Interim Senior Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Allen Bolton. “We have worked hard to keep tuition increases as small as possible while still ensuring we can give students the Volunteer experience they expect.”

Read the full story

Sen. Blackburn to Join Bipartisan Coalition of Colleagues in Visiting Normandy on D-Day

Marsha Blackburn

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) will join a bipartisan coalition of her colleagues visiting Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of when United States troops stormed the shores and entered the European theatre of World War II.

“On the 80th anniversary of D-Day, we will honor the brave Allied and American fighters who stormed the beaches of Normandy in the name of freedom around the world. We will never forget the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation, and I look forward to standing alongside my colleagues and world leaders as we pay tribute on this anniversary,” Blackburn said in a release. 

Read the full story

PJM Needs More Electricity to Meet 2040 Estimates in 13 States

Transformer

While demand for electricity is set to significantly increase by 2040, planning is not in place to increase electricity production to meet those estimates, according to a new report from Clean Energy Grid related to PJM Interconnection.

PJM coordinates wholesale energy movement for 65 million people through parts or all of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Read the full story

D-Day: The Bold Invasion That Turned the Tide Against Hitler’s Germany

Tennessee Star

Eighty years ago on June 6, 1944 the United States joined with Great Britain, the free French forces, and Canada to mount a bold invasion of the beachhead in Normandy, France as a last-ditch effort to gain a foothold in Europe against the conquering forces of Hitler’s Germany.

The 160,000-soldier seaborne operation would mark a massive pivot in the Allies’ defense against the Nazis and the bloodthirsty Axis.

Read the full story

Tennessee State Rep. Jason Zachary Details Importance of Bill that Tightened Duty to Report Law

Jason Zachary

Tennessee State Representative Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) suggested his bill that strengthened the state’s duty to report law may have prevented the Covenant School shooting on March 27, 2023 in Nashville if implemented before the shooting took place.

Over the weekend, The Tennessee Star reported it was provided the name of the psychologist who was reportedly part of the care team for Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale.

Read the full story

Covenant School Shooter Audrey Hale Wrote ‘I Need a Trans Doctor’ 19 Days Before Attack

Doctor

Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale declared her “need” for a “trans doctor” in a journal or diary entry dated just 19 days before she orchestrated the horrific attack on the Covenant School on March 27, 2023.

The Tennessee Star confirmed on Wednesday that it has obtained nearly four dozen pages of handwritten writings by Hale that were recovered from her vehicle. One of the pages includes an illustrated version of the name Aiden, which is the name Hale used when identifying as a transgender man.

Read the full story

Report: Covenant School Shooter Fantasized About School Shootings as Middle Schooler

Covenant School shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale had been having fantasies of carrying out school shootings ever since she was a middle schooler, 99.7 WTN afternoon radio host Brian Wilson reported Wednesday.

Wilson revealed a number of other previously unknown details about Hale referencing a “lengthy” document he obtained regarding her and the shooting. He said he had more details he would reveal Thursday.

Read the full story

Covenant School Killer Audrey Hale Claimed to Witness Injury from Bullet Ricochet at Gun Range Only Two Days Before Attack

Audrey Hale Gun Range

Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale claimed to witness an accidental injury after training at a Nashville-area gun range just two days before her terrible attack.

Hale reported witnessing the incident in a handwritten journal or diary entry that was recovered from her vehicle, photographed, and eventually provided to The Tennessee Star as part of a portion of Hale’s writings.

Read the full story

MNPD Subpoenaed Vanderbilt for All Records Related to Treating Covenant Killer Audrey Hale

MNPD Vanderbilt

The Tennessee Star has obtained a judicial subpoena sent by a Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) detective to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) on May 13, 2023, which sought “any and all records of medical and psychological treatment received by Audrey Hale,” who committed the Covenant School shooting on March 27, 2023 that resulted in six dead.

Read the full story

Audrey Hale Wrote Political Rant About Guns and Transgenderism One Month Before Covenant School Attack

The Tennessee Star has obtained dozens of handwritten pages authored by Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who committed the horrific Covenant School shooting on March 27, 2023.

The Star reviewed nearly four dozen images of notebook pages written by Hale that were recovered from the vehicle she drove to the Covenant School which were obtained from a source familiar with the Covenant investigation. 

Read the full story

Retired MNPD Lieutenant Says Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital Did Not Report Covenant Killer’s Violent Fantasies to Law Enforcement

Garet Davidson

Retired Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Lt. Garet Davidson told Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star, that Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the Covenant School killer, received treatment from the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, where professionals failed to report her violent fantasies to law enforcement. Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital is a part of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center system.

Read the full story

GOP Candidate for TN House District 65 Lee Reeves: ‘Yes, I’m Voting for Governor Lee’s Universal School Choice’

Lee Reeves and MPL

Real estate investor and attorney Lee Reeves, who is running in the August 1 Republican primary election for Tennessee State House District 65, sat down with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy on Wednesday to discuss his stance on different issues affecting the state.

House District 65 is currently represented by State Representative Sam Whitson (R-Franklin), who announced he would not be seeking reelection to the seat.

Read the full story

TBI Arrests 11 Convicted Felons for Allegedly Illegally Voting

Arrest

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) announced the arrests of 11 convicted felons for voting in local elections in 2020 and 2022, and said that four deceased felons also voted in those elections. 

“In late January, at the request of 18th Judicial District Attorney General Ray Whitley, TBI agents began investigating reports of 15 convicted felons unlawfully voting in various Sumner County elections between 2020 and 2022,” according to a TBI press release. “Agents determined four of the felons were deceased prior to the investigation. Agents investigated the remaining 11 individuals, determining all had been convicted of at least one felony and registered to vote in Sumner County after their convictions, completing documents that included language regarding not having been convicted of a felony.”

Read the full story

FBI Memo on ‘Protection of Legacy Tokens’ Sent to Nashville Police in May 2023 Opposed Release of Covenant Killer Documents, Cited Destruction Precedent

The Tennessee Star has obtained the FBI memo sent to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) on May 11, 2023 from a source familiar with the Covenant killer investigation.

The letterhead and heading used for the memo indicate it originated at the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group in Quantico, Virginia. The opening paragraphs reveal it was sent by the FBI’s Behavioral Threat Assessment Center (BTAC), the home of the FBI’s Behavorial Analysis Unit (BAU-1). The memo was not signed.

Read the full story

Judge Who Temporarily Released Alleged Cyberstalker Failed to Ask for Victim Statements

McKenzie McClure

Federal District Court Judge Alistair Newbern ordered the temporary release of transgender alleged cyberstalker McKenzie McClure on Monday but did not hear victim statements beforehand.

Newbern ordered McClure, who is charged with cyberstalking, to be released the same day to voluntary mental health in-patient treatment in Sevierville, Tennessee, rather than keep her in federal custody. Before Monday, McClure was held in solitary confinement.

Read the full story

Psychologist Who Treated Covenant School Killer Audrey Hale Referred Patient to Vanderbilt After Violent Fantasies, Retired MNPD Officer Claims

Audrey Hale

A retired Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officer told The Michael Patrick Leahy Show on Tuesday that the psychologist who treated Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale referred her patient to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) for treatment and involuntary commitment after Hale expressed violent fantasies.

Retired MNPD Lieutenant Garet Davidson, who recently filed a 61-page complaint against the department and claimed the FBI told MNPD not to release documents from the Covenant investigation, revealed the information to The Tennessee Star editor-in-chief Michael Patrick Leahy.

Read the full story

Second Ethics Complaint Filed Against NY Judge Merchan as Concerns Increase over His Handling of Trump ‘Hush Money’ Case

Donald Trump

The unanimous jury verdict last week against former President Donald Trump in the “hush money” case involving porn star Stormy Daniels is prompting concerns about unethical behavior by New York Judge Juan Merchan. Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY-24) filed a misconduct complaint against Merchan last week, alleging that he violated ethics rules by presiding over the case since his progressive activist daughter made money from the case.

The complaint Stefanik filed with the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct (NYSCJC) stated that under Section 100.3(E)(1)(d)(iii) of the Rules of Judicial Conduct for the New York State Unified Court System, “a judge is disqualified from a case when the judge knows that a person known by the judge to be within the sixth degree of relationship to him ‘has an interest that could be substantially affected by the proceeding.’”

Read the full story

Reporter Matt Giffin Recounts Being the Sole Reporter at Federal Hearing in Case of Transgender Alleged Cyberstalker McKenzie McClure

Matthew Giffin

Matt Giffin, reporter at The Tennessee Star, said he was the sole reporter that attended the federal hearing on Monday in the case of transgender alleged cyberstalker McKenzie McClure, who was ordered by the federal district court judge to be temporarily released to a residential mental health facility rather than stay in federal custody.

Read the full story

Retired MNPD Lt. Garet Davidson Claims FBI Told Nashville Police Not to Release Documents from Covenant School Killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale Investigation, Pointed to Precedent for Document Destruction

A retired Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) lieutenant told The Michael Patrick Leahy Show on Tuesday that the FBI sent a memo to Police Chief John Drake in May of 2023, two months after Audrey Elizabeth Hale killed three students and three staff members at the Covenant School, instructing the department not to release certain materials from the Covenant School shooting investigation and instead pointed out to the MNPD the precedent for destroying such documents.

The information was divulged to Michael Patrick Leahy, the editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star, by recently retired MNPD Lieutenant Garet Davidson, who filed the recent 61-page complaint against the department and made other claims about the status of the investigation of Covenant School shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale to 99.7 WTN radio host Brian Wilson.

Read the full story

Tennessee AG Skrmetti Leads Coalition in Demanding the American Bar Association Stop Requiring Law Schools to Engage in Illegal Racial Discrimination

Tennessee A.G. Jonathan Skrmetti

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general in sending a letter to the Council of the American Bar Association (ABA) on Monday demanding that it make changes to its accreditation process to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative in the case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.

Read the full story

Judge Sets August Trial Date for Embattled Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert, Denies Motion to Dismiss

Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert

A trial date was set on Friday for the trial to determine whether Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert should be removed from her position due to an alleged willful neglect for her official duties.

Tennessee 30th Circuit Judge Felicia Corbin-Johnson set Halbert’s trial date for August 26. Halbert will additionally appear in court on June 25, according to The Commercial Appeal, which reported that Corbin-Johnson will determine whether the clerk should be suspended from the job for the duration of the trial on that date.

Read the full story

Tennessee ‘Furries’ Will Have Float in Nashville Pride Parade

People dressed up in furry suits

A group of Tennessee furries will have a float in Nashville’s 2024 gay pride parade. 

“Wowie! We’re so proud to be doing this again! If you guys remember from last year, we made international news and were seen by Jill Biden, First Lady of the United States! Pretty dang cool, huh?” said a group called MurfreesFurs on its website. “Well, now EVERY FURRY GROUP IN TENNESSEE is joining us! We are sponsoring and paying for everyone to get involved with us in unity, and we can’t wait to see the fandom united under a beautiful cause! Each furry group is going to get together in decorating and building the float with their own designs, and then we march or ride in the parade!”

Read the full story

Nashville Market Closed by Court Order Due to Rampant Crime

Star Market Padlocked over Crime Concerns

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) announced Monday morging that it shuttered a market in North Nashville due to excessive violence. 

“MNPD officers & detectives now are raiding & padlocking Star Market, 1613 Buchanan St, after a prolonged disruption of quality of life in this area (drug deals, gunshots, fighting, drunkenness). This is a court ordered action under TN’s public nuisance law,” MNPD said on its X account. 

Read the full story

Transgender Alleged Cyberstalker McKenzie McClure Ordered to be Temporarily Released to Mental Health Facility

McKenzie McClure

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Transgender alleged cyberstalker McKenzie McClure was ordered by a federal district court judge on Monday to be temporarily released to a residential mental health facility rather than stay in federal custody.

McClure’s representation proposed the plan to temporarily release her in a Monday hearing. The prosecution agreed with the plan after negotiating several conditions for McClure’s release and initially preferring that she remain in federal custody. McClure’s charges were not discussed in the hearing.

Read the full story

Commentary: Armed Teachers Save Lives

Nikki Goeser

My husband Ben and I used to run a mobile karaoke business in Nashville, Tennessee. Every Thursday evening, we would load up our vehicle and head to a popular restaurant to help facilitate a night of good music and great memories.

As a woman who was concerned for her safety, I usually carried my permitted concealed handgun with me. But in April of 2009, Tennessee did not allow carrying firearms in restaurants that served alcohol, so I left my handgun locked inside of my vehicle.

Read the full story

Psychologist Who Allegedly Failed to Report Violent Threats from Covenant Killer Audrey Hale Identified, Claims Practice Closed in 2022

Audrey Elizabeth Hale

A source provided The Tennessee Star with the name of the psychologist who was reportedly part of the care team for Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale. That psychologist allegedly failed in her professional and legal duty to warn law enforcement after Hale purportedly expressed fantasies about murdering her family members and carrying out a school shooting while under treatment.

Read the full story

Psychologist Who Allegedly Failed to Report Violent Threats from Covenant Killer Audrey Hale Identified, Claims Practice Closed in 2022

Audrey Elizabeth Hale

A source provided The Tennessee Star with the name of the psychologist who was reportedly part of the care team for Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale. That psychologist allegedly failed in her professional and legal duty to warn law enforcement after Hale purportedly expressed fantasies about murdering her family members and carrying out a school shooting while under treatment.

Read the full story

Rule of Lawfare: Jury Instructions from NY Judge to Manhattan Jurors in Trump ‘Hush Money’ Case Contained Made-up and Selectively Chosen Language

NY Judge Juan Merchan

A New York jury found former President Donald Trump guilty on all 34 criminal counts related to falsifying business records last week, prompting outcry that New York Judge Juan Merchan, who was handpicked to handle the case and who donated to Joe Biden, committed misconduct during the trial, including how he handled the jury instructions. A CNN senior legal analyst reported that the case was full of so many legal stretches that employees of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office referred to it as the “zombie case.”

Daniel Street, an attorney in Louisiana who writes about lawfare, told The Tennessee Star the jury instructions were “terrible.”

Read the full story

Three Tennessee Cities Among Top 20 Places Most Americans are Moving to, Report Says

A report from POD, the moving and storage company, says that three cities in Tennessee are among the top 20 in America where people are moving. 

“We’re seeing more people move to the Southern Appalachian region, which includes states like North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama,” the report said. “Tennessee tied with Florida for the third most popular state for new moves.”

Read the full story

Tennessee Politicians, Others Celebrate Pride Month

LBGTQ supporters

On the first day of June, politicians, political organizations and private companies took to X, formerly Twitter, to celebrate gay pride month. 

“Happy Pride, everyone!” said disgraced former Nashville mayor turned congressional candidate Megan Barry. “I proudly stand with the LGBTQ+ community. Let’s celebrate love, diversity, and equality for all. Together, we can build a Tennessee where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.”

Read the full story

Tennessee Attorney General Leads Lawsuit Challenging HHS Final Rule on Gender Identity Under the Affordable Care Act

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch led a coalition of 13 other states in filing a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) final rule, which redefines the Affordable Care Act’s prohibition against discrimination based on “sex” to include “gender identity.”

As of May 6, HHS’ final rule requires medical providers to perform surgeries and administer hormone drugs to both children and adults for the purpose of gender transition, without regard for a doctor’s medical judgment as to whether that treatment was appropriate.

Read the full story

Scammers Who Attempted to Foreclose on Elvis Presley’s Iconic Graceland Home Admit to Failure: Report

Grace Land

An individual allegedly involved in a scheme to acquire Elvis Presley’s iconic Graceland home in Memphis reportedly reached out to CNN via email claiming responsibility for the scam, the outlet reported this week.

Graceland became the target of Nausanny Investments and Private Lending, LLC after the company claimed that the singer’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, who died in 2023, didn’t repay a loan using the home as collateral.

Read the full story

Reporter Tom Pappert: ‘Bone-Chilling’ to See 15-Year-Old Alleged Bellevue Killer Smiling After Crime

Tom Pappert

Tom Pappert, the lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said the photograph released by the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) that shows the 15-year-old arrested for the fatal Wednesday night shooting in Bellevue smiling after the incident is “bone-chilling.”

On Thursday, Pappert reported that MNPD confirmed the arrest of 15-year-old De’Anthony Osasosifo and named him as a suspect in the Wednesday night shooting in the parking lot of the Red Caboose Park in Bellevue that left a 13-year-old dead and his 16-year-old sister hospitalized.

Read the full story

MNPD Silent on Allegation that Police Searched Practitioner’s Home, Office in Covenant Investigation

Metro Nashville Police Department declined to comment on allegations by a recently retired MNPD officer who claimed police searched the home and office of a “practitioner” involved in the Covenant shooting investigation.

Former Lieutenant Garet Davidson is skeptical the Covenant shooting investigation is still “active, open, and actually being worked” despite MNPD’s claim that the investigation is open, he said in an interview with 99.7 WTN host Brian Wilson on his afternoon drive radio show.

Read the full story

Reuters Anti-Trump Propaganda Begins in Pennsylvania

Women for Trump rally

The global news organization Reuters claimed on Friday that women voters in Pennsylvania may now have second thoughts about voting for former President Donald Trump after he was convicted in the controversial New York hush money trial on Thursday.

Reuters claimed to have conducted 22 interviews with female voters in Pennsylvania in the hours after Trump became the first former president convicted in a criminal trial in U.S. history.

Read the full story