Destinie Getchey
A joint investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has resulted in the indictment of two people in connection with the death of a toddler that occurred earlier this year.
In March, at the request of 4th Judicial District Attorney General James Dunn, TBI agents joined detectives with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in investigating a shooting involving a two-year-old.
On March 23, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in the 400 block of English Drive in Talbott. Upon arrival, they found Coltyn Lee Gridley, 2, suffering from a gunshot wound. The child was transported to a Knoxville hospital, where he died a few days later.
During the course of the investigation, authorities developed information that Destinie Leann-Marie Getchey, 28, the child’s mother, and Christopher Kyle Ray Smith, 25, were responsible for the circumstances that led to Coltyn’s death.
This week, the Jefferson County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Ms. Getchey with one count of aggravated child neglect and one count of reckless homicide and charging Smith with one count of aggravated child neglect.
On Wednesday afternoon, Ms. Getchey was located and arrested in Barnardsville, N.C. She is currently being held in the Buncombe County, N.C. Jail, pending extradition to Tennessee. This afternoon, Smith was located and arrested in Greene County before being booked into the Jefferson County Jail.
Christopher Smith