Overton County grand jury indicts Payton Nations on two first-degree murder counts

A grand jury in Overton County returned an indictment charging 27-year-old Payton Wayne Nations with two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Christina Denise Hawkins and her adult son, the 13th Judicial District Attorney General’s office announced. The indictment places the case on Overton County Criminal Court’s docket as the investigation continues.

Bryant C. Dunaway, 13th Judicial District Attorney General, posted on social media that “The results of the investigation into the shooting deaths of Christina Denise Hawkins and Isaiah Thomas Hawkins were presented to the Overton County Grand Jury. After hearing testimony from investigators, the Grand Jury issued a True Bill of Indictment against Payton Wayne Nations, age 27, charging him with two counts of first degree murder. The Grand Jury found sufficient evidence to establish probable cause that Nations committed these crimes.”

A Tennessee Bureau of Investigation warrant narrative quoted Special Agent Kobe Cox describing the scene and witness statements. “According to the warrant by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Kobe Cox, Overton County deputies were dispatched to a home on Freeman Lane in Rickman in reference to a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered the bodies of Isaiah Hawkins, 25, and his mother, Christina Hawkins, 43, lying in the driveway.” Cox’s account continues with household and witness details: “Through investigation, it was discovered that Heather Hawkins resided at this residence with her boyfriend, Payton Nations, as well as Heather Hawkins' two juvenile children,” Cox said. “Before the shooting, Cox said one of Heather Hawkins' children was on the phone with Isaiah Hawkins, the child's father. [...] ‘Without provocation or arguing, he began firing the 9mm handgun at Christina Hawkins and Isaiah Hawkins in the driveway. Heather Hawkins stated she observed Payton Nations shoot both Christina and Nathan Hawkins numerous times with the handgun.’” Cox also reported that “According to Cox, Heather Hawkins and another witness said Nations allegedly walked away after an initial flurry of shots before walking back toward the two prone victims and begin firing again,” and that “Sixteen spent 9mm shell casings were located in the vicinity of Isaiah and Christina Hawkins' bodies.”

Reports show differences in the public record over the precise date and street name at the scene. The 13th Judicial District’s announcement ties the deaths to Sept. 14, 2025, while law enforcement records and subsequent reports place the discovery around Sept. 21, 2025. The location is cited as Freeman Lane in the TBI warrant and as the 100 block of Freeman Drive in other records; those discrepancies await confirmation from official dispatch and court files.

Investigators say Nations fled the scene, triggering a multi-county manhunt with searches by land, water and air. Authorities say a fisherman reported seeing a vehicle pushed into Center Hill Lake, and a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper later spotted the suspect at mile marker 283 on Interstate 40. Nations was arrested in Putnam County without incident and was booked into the Overton County Jail. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported a $40,000,000 bond for the two first-degree murder counts.

For readers in and around Rickman, the indictment moves the case into the criminal-court phase where arraignment and pretrial processes will follow. Expect confirmation of the arraignment date from Overton County Criminal Court and further releases from the 13th Judicial District and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation as evidence and witness testimony are presented. The investigation remains ongoing, and local residents should look to official channels for verified updates and court scheduling.