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Double murder suspect dies in hospital
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The 22-year-old man suspected of killing two women in DeKalb County died Friday night at Vanderbilt Hospital, according to WJLE radio in Smithville.
Brandon Michael Gray died Friday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head after he is believed to have killed his ex-girlfriend and her stepmother on Thursday.
Heather Nichole Eley, 21, and her stepmother Lori Ann Eley, 42, were found in their home on Allen’s Chapel Road in DeKalb County. Officers say they were stabbed and shot.
Gray is the ex-boyfriend of Heather Eley. They reportedly have two children together, a boy and a girl both under age 3. The children were at the home when the murders took place, according to DeKalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray.
While the murders took place in DeKalb County, both families have Warren County ties.
Heather Eley was the daughter of Chrissy Dodd Eley, who grew up here and graduated from Warren County. Heather Eley’s father, Bruce Eley, worked for the Warren County Sheriff’s Department in 1984.
As for the suspected killer, the Gray family attended Gath Baptist Church in the northern part of the county for many years. One church member described the Grays as great parents with well-behaved children.
After killing the two women, Gray reportedly fled the scene, but was soon identified as a person of interest. Heather Eley had taken out an order of protection against her ex-boyfriend and their relationship was described as “volatile” by one family member.
An officer spotted Gray pulling out of Mapco Express in Smithville.
The deputy tried to pull over the car, but Gray refused to stop. A chase down Highway 56 North ended when Gray pulled over near the intersection of Rolling Acres Road.
As the car came to a stop, officers heard a shot. They rushed to the car and discovered Gray had shot himself in the head. Gray was transported to DeKalb Community Hospital, but could not be airlifted because of the weather. He was transported by ambulance to Vanderbilt.
Sheriff Ray says authorities learned of the murders when a man called 911 from his cellphone Thursday at 3:45 p.m. The man indicated someone needed to come to the home on Allen’s Chapel Road to check on the well-being of his children.
Officers arrived and found the front door locked, but they were able to enter through a back door. A boy and girl, both under 3, were found unharmed in the home.
The bodies of the two women were discovered in the living room and kitchen. Sheriff Ray said it appears the women had been shot and stabbed.
Ray said lawmen have the pistol Gray used to shoot himself. They have also recovered kitchen knives from the home which may have been used in stabbing the women. The bodies have been sent to Nashville for an autopsy.
Funeral arrangements for Heather Eley are available on page 2-A.

Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community