TIPTON COUNTY, Tenn. — A second person has been charged after allegedly murdering a Tipton County man and then setting his home on fire to cover up the crime.
Robert Brenner of Dyersburg was already in custody for an unrelated incident when detectives were able to connect him to the death of Joseph Roman in June 2017.
According to the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office, authorities rushed to Roman’s home in the 15000 block of Highway 59W after it caught on fire. As firefighters battled the flames they discovered the victim’s body among the debris.
An subsequent autopsy revealed Roman was murdered before the house went up in flames.
It’s unclear how Brenner was connected to the crime. He was charged with first-degree murder.
The news of the 38-year-old’s arrest comes just several months after authorities arrested Amber Blair Whitehead in the crime.
Despite the arrests, Sheriff J.T. Chumley asked for residents to still help authorities in this case.
“The investigation is ongoing. We urge anyone with information on this homicide, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to please contact us. In situations such as these we can’t overlook any piece of evidence and the information you may have could be very crucial to our investigation.”
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation helped in the investigation.
