2nd man charged in Holly Bobo case pleads not guilty
DECATURVILLE, Tenn. - A Benton County, Tenn. man has pleaded not guilty to murder and kidnapping charges in the disappearance of 20-year-old nursing student Holly Bobo.
Thirty-nine-year-old Jason Autry was indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday and entered his plea on Wednesday in Decatur County. Autry is currently serving a three-year sentence for aggravated assault.
Zachary Adams, 29, a longtime friend of Autry, also faces murder and kidnapping charges in the case. He pleaded not guilty to those charges in March.
On Wednesday, Adams pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of coercion of a witness. The charge stems from a threat Adams allegedly tried to make against his brother, who is also incarcerated, and is a witness in the Bobo case.
Meanwhile, a third man could face charges in the case after prosecutors revoked an immunity agreement. Court records show that 29-year-old Shayne Austin of Decatur County agreed to lead investigators to Bobo's body. They later revoked the agreement, claiming Austin was not truthful. Bobo's body has not been found.
Bobo disappeared from her home in Decatur County in April 2011. Adams was arrested in late February of this year and authorities have not commented on a possible motive. Officials say the investigation into the case is ongoing.