DEKALB COUNTY, Tenn. — A suspect wanted in connection with the brutal killing of Isaiah Hawkins and Christina Hawkins in Overton County is now in custody following an intense manhunt that spanned multiple agencies and counties.
Authorities confirmed that 27-year-old Payton Nations of Cookeville was arrested Sunday evening after hours on the run.
According to DeKalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray, the pursuit began at 12:19 p.m., when DeKalb Central Dispatch received a call from a witness at Austin Bottom Lake Access reporting a man pushing a vehicle into the lake before fleeing on foot. Deputies soon learned Nations was the subject of a Be-On-The-Lookout (BOLO) alert tied to a domestic-related double homicide earlier in the day in Overton County.
A massive manhunt quickly unfolded, with law enforcement searching land, water, and air. Reverse 911 calls were issued to residents in both the Austin Bottom and Hurricane Bridge areas, warning the public to be on alert. Detectives also reviewed camera footage from nearby homes, which helped establish Nations’ movements and clothing description.
The breakthrough came around 6:00 p.m., when a resident on Old Baxter Road in Putnam County spotted a man matching the suspect’s description. Moments later, a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer located Nations and took him into custody without incident.
Sheriff Ray praised the teamwork involved:
“I wish to thank our law enforcement partners, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, Overton County Sheriff’s Department, DeKalb County Constable, DeKalb Central Dispatch, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation,” Ray said.
Nations is facing two counts of First-Degree Murder in the deaths of Isaiah Hawkins and Christina Hawkins. The District Attorney will determine whether to pursue the death penalty. He is being held without bond in the Overton County Jail.
Officials emphasized that community vigilance was instrumental in the capture, with multiple residents calling in sightings that ultimately led to Nations’ arrest.
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