District Attorney Coty Wamp said license plate readers played a significant role in the arrest of a Washington state couple in connection with the murder of a Soddy Daisy man.
Mark Thompson was shot and killed in Soddy Daisy on June 27.
DA Wamp said, "Less than a month later, the Hamilton County Grand Jury issued indictments charging Michael A. Brooks with first-degree murder and Kayla Brooks with accessory after the fact.
"Suspects Michael A. Brooks and Kayla Brooks fled town after the murder and were eventually located in Washington State. Once detectives knew of the possible destination of the suspects, license plate readers played a significant role in tracking the two.
"The Criminal Warrants Unit of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office traveled to Washington to retrieve the suspects, both of whom are now in custody at the Hamilton County Jail.
“The efforts of the Soddy Daisy Police Department on this case have been outstanding. Indictments were secured only because of the hard work of SDPD Detectives Jeremy Morrison and Hunter Abbott. As these cases are now pending in Criminal Court, we will have no further comment but we will see Mr. and Mrs. Brooks in court.”
Soddy Daisy Police Chief Billy Petty said, “The Soddy Daisy Police Department would like to thank all of our law enforcement partners for their help in this case. Specifically, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office in Washington State for their help in apprehending the suspects so that they could be brought back to Hamilton County to stand trial.”