Defendants in Bobo case face death penalty if convicted
DECATURVILLE, Tenn. -- Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for three men charged with murder in the disappearance of a Tennessee nursing student four years ago if they are convicted.
Special prosecutor Jennifer Nichols acknowledged in court Wednesday that the notice had been filed.
Indictments from May charge Jason Autry, Zachary Adams and his brother John Dylan Adams with premeditated murder and murder in the perpetration of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated rape of Holly Bobo.
That replaced previous murder and kidnapping charges for Autry and Zachary Adams, and rape charges for John Dylan Adams. The defendants were re-arraigned Wednesday after the cases were consolidated. All three appeared in court, and all three pleaded not guilty.
Bobo was 20 when she was reported missing from her rural Parsons home in April 2011. Her disappearance and the subsequent lengthy search attracted national attention. Authorities say her skull was found in woods in Decatur County in September.
Appearing in prison stripes in court Wednesday, John Dylan Adams didn't express emotion as a judge read all eight counts of the indictment against him. The charges included kidnapping, rape and felony murder.
When the judge asked if he understood the charges against him, he replied, "Yes, sir."