A Tennessee man is facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of murdering his younger brother and grandmother.
Jordan Allen, now 20, committed the killings when he was just 16. The victims were 7-year-old Jessie Allen and 59-year-old Sherry Cole, and the murders were carried out with a hammer in the family home on Old Snapps Ferry Road in Greeneville in April 2022.
Trial and Conviction
Allen’s trial began on a Monday, and jurors in Greene County began deliberating shortly after 9 a.m. on Friday. The jury reached a unanimous verdict quickly, convicting Allen on two counts of first-degree murder just after 11 a.m. The sentencing phase began later that afternoon.
During the trial, Allen repeatedly blamed his grandfather, Bill Cole, claiming he had seen him striking the victims with a hammer.
Prosecutors countered this by presenting a confession Allen gave to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in April 2022, in which he admitted to killing both his brother and grandmother. Allen claimed he lied to investigators out of fear of his grandfather, saying it was easier than telling the truth about the murders.
Denial and Cross-Examination
Throughout the trial, Allen denied intentionally killing his brother and grandmother, disputing that he had planned the murders during the day. He admitted telling investigators, “I’d rather kill myself than do something to my little brother,” but later acknowledged that in a subsequent statement he had confessed to killing him.
The prosecution addressed claims of domestic abuse, but Allen admitted that he had never seen his grandfather harm either victim and that his grandfather had never hurt him. The most he could say was that Bill Cole sometimes raised his voice.
Autopsy and Evidence
The autopsy results revealed the brutality of the murders. Jessie Allen suffered multiple lacerations, skull fractures, and severe blows to the head, all of which were fatal. Sherry Cole had brain bruising, head lacerations, and stab wounds to the back of her neck.
The state also highlighted Allen’s behaviour in the hours following the murders. He admitted leaving home, going to a friend’s house, visiting a Little Caesars, and then going to Walmart to buy headphones, claiming he was in shock and coping with the discovery of the bodies.
Jury Decision and Aftermath
Ultimately, the jury sided with the state, delivering a guilty verdict. Assistant District Attorney General Ritchie Collins said after the verdict, “I know we got a guilty verdict, but there are just no winners here. Everybody loses. You heard Bill Cole dragged through the mud. He was accused of something he didn’t do. He’s lost a wife of 44 years and two grandkids. He’s lost his entire life, his whole family. There are no winners.”
Prosecutors have requested life in prison without the possibility of parole, though Allen’s young age at the time of the murders means the final sentence will be determined by the jury at the conclusion of the sentencing phase.
