SAVANNAH, Tenn. — Jason Autry, one of the men facing charges in the death of Holly Bobo, took the stand and revealed shocking new details about events leading up to the death of the 20-year-old nursing student.
In front of Bobo’s family, Autry described how he tried to call Zachary Adams, the defendant on trial, and a second suspect Shayne Austin multiple times in the early morning hours of April 13 to purchase drugs. When he was finally able to get in touch with Adams, the defendant stated “he was busy” and that he would call him back.
Once he made contact again, Adams allegedly told Autry, “I need to see you. I need your help” before meeting him at Shayne Austin’s home. Adams told him, “I need you to help me bury this body” and went on to identify it as Holly Bobo.
Autry told the jury he agreed to help and they planned to gut the body before dumping it into the Tennessee River. They quickly made a loop around the area to make sure no one was around, then started to move the body out of the truck.
That’s when Autry testified he saw Bobo’s foot move and heard faint noises coming from inside the blanket the body was wrapped in.
After hearing that she was still alive, Adams grabbed a gun from the truck and shot Bobo as Autry made sure no one was coming down the road. They would have stuck to their plan, but the sound of a boat cranking nearby forced them to load the body back in the truck and speed away from the scene.
When asked how he even knew Bobo, Adams allegedly told Autry her cousin was working at a strip club and was a prostitute. Adams said Natalie had shown him pictures of Bobo and she led him to believe the three of them would engage in sex acts together. He also said the victim had been by his home.
Prosecutors then asked Autry about a conversation he overheard between Shayne and Zach Adams after the murder.
According to his testimony, Shayne and Zach got into an argument while driving to get drugs.
“You didn’t have to kill her,” Shayne screamed.
“You’re just as d*** guilty, you hit it,” Zach responded.
When asked what that meant, Autry stated he believed it was in reference to Bobo’s rape.
Autry later says Adams asks him to kill his brother, Dylan Adams, because he was talking too much about the case.
He said Adams told him he’d give him money, so he agreed to it. He took him out fishing but came across a boat that recognized Dylan, which made him bail on that plan.
Autry testified about Adams saying this all started with Holly’s cousin who told Adams he’d have a threesome with him and Holly.
But then he says the motive was because Adams went to the Bobo house to teach Holly’s brother Clint how to manufacture meth. Holly came out and freaked out, so he took her.
The defense argued Autry is in the Aryan Nation, which doesn’t allow rape, so he concocted this story to stay in good standings with the group. However, the judge didn’t allow the defense attorney to bring that argument in front of jurors.
The defense also brought up letters he sent from prison and tried to paint him as a liar willing to do anything to get his prison sentence reduced, but Autry testified there’s no deal on the table.
Court ended late at 6:30 p.m.
Bridget Chapman was live tweeting from the courtroom.
Autry’s Testimony (explicit):
To see WREG’s complete coverage of the proceedings to date, click here.