Deputies went to a home in the 400 block of East Little Richland Road in Waverly, Tennessee, on the morning of Jan. 2 after receiving a request for a welfare check. Inside, they found four relatives dead from apparent gunshot wounds, authorities said.
The victims were identified as Heather Thompson, 32; her sons Arius Thompson, 4, and Isaiah Johnson, 13; and her grandmother, Evelyn Johnson, 88. Investigators say evidence at the scene points to a suspected murder-suicide, with Thompson believed to have killed the three others before taking her own life.
Sheriff Chris Davis said the case is being treated as a “homicide-type” investigation as detectives work to document the scene and preserve evidence. He said officials do not believe there is an outside suspect and do not consider the public to be at risk.
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The knock on East Little Richland Road
Davis said the welfare-check request came in Friday morning, but he declined to say who placed the call. Deputies entered the home and found two adults and two juveniles, all family members, dead inside, he said.
The location sits in a rural stretch outside town, and the sheriff’s office urged people early on to avoid the area while investigators worked. In a Jan. 2 public update, the department said it expected to remain on scene for an undetermined period and emphasized there were no active threats tied to the case.
Four names, one family
Authorities publicly identified the victims the next day: Arius Thompson, 4; Isaiah Johnson, 13; Evelyn Johnson, 88; and Heather Thompson, 32. The sheriff’s office later corrected the 13-year-old’s last name after it was initially released as Thompson.
Davis told WSMV he knew the family and would not describe what investigators saw inside the home. In a brief public statement, he framed the work ahead as careful and methodical, saying the department wanted to “do right” by the victims and their relatives.
What investigators say the evidence points to
Officials have not released a motive, and they have not described the order of events inside the home. What they have said, repeatedly, is that the evidence they found supports a suspected murder-suicide.
Davis said the investigation indicates Heather Thompson shot and killed Arius Thompson, Isaiah Johnson and Evelyn Johnson, then took her own life. State agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are assisting local investigators as the inquiry continues.
NewsChannel 5 reported that Davis said there had been no prior domestic violence or mental health-related calls to the home and that Thompson was estranged from the boys’ father, points investigators have cited as they emphasize the lack of obvious warning flags in local call history.
A school’s Monday, a father’s drive to bring his sons home
The shock rippled quickly through the community, including the school system where Isaiah was a student. In a statement shared with People, a director with Humphreys County Schools said the district was “deeply saddened,” and that counselors would be available on Jan. 5 to support students and staff.
As investigators worked in Tennessee, the boys’ father, Biah Thompson, began making plans from out of state. He launched a GoFundMe titled “Bring My Boys Back Home to New Mexico,” seeking help to transport Arius and Isaiah for burial; the fundraiser lists Thompson as the organizer in Albuquerque and says the money is for bringing the boys home.
Authorities said they are waiting on autopsy results as part of the ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information can contact the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office at 931-296-2301. The state tip line can be reached at 1-800-TBI-FIND. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or emotional distress, call or text 988 in the United States.
