Grand jury indicts DeHart charged with Deputy Greg McCowan's death

A Blount County Grand Jury has indicted the man charged with the death of Blount County Sheriff’s Deputy Greg McCowan. Although details about the indictment and the charges within were not available by press time Monday, Kenneth Wayne DeHart Jr., 42, is scheduled to appear in Blount County Circuit Court at 9 a.m. Friday, April 5.

Blount County District Attorney Ryan Desmond said the grand jury handed down the indictment Monday, but that he could not comment on its details until the indictment is served on DeHart.

The Daily Times requested a copy of the document from the Blount County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office Monday afternoon but was deferred back to Desmond’s office.

DeHart was initially charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a weapon after law enforcement said he opened fire on McCowan and fellow Deputy Shelby Eggers during a traffic stop in early February.

Eggers, who survived the incident after being shot in the leg, returned fire at the fleeing shooter and was released from the hospital that night. McCowan was later declared dead at Blount Memorial Hospital. A TBI special agent testified during DeHart’s preliminary hearing Feb. 20 that the deputy was struck twice in the torso.

Law enforcement identified DeHart as the primary suspect the night of the shooting, prompting a five-day manhunt until a multi-agency task force located him in an empty house in Knoxville. He was taken to the Blount County Correctional Facility Feb,. 13 and booked the day before McCowan’s funeral.

In DeHart’s preliminary hearing, Desmond argued DeHart intended to kill McCowan. Body-worn and dash-camera footage of the incident shows the shooter, whom prosecutors have identified as DeHart, opening fire on the two deputies before opening his door and leaning out to shoot a prone McCowan again.

The shooter, Desmond said, would not have fired on McCowan a second time if he didn’t intend to kill the deputy. DeHart’s counsel, the Blount County Public Defender Mack Garner, has argued the charges should be second-degree murder.

In a press conference the night of DeHart’s arrest, Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong said he would like Desmond to seek the death penalty in the case — a decision Desmond said he will discuss with the victim’s family.

Blount County General Sessions Judge William Brewer denied Garner’s motion to reschedule the preliminary hearing so DeHart could hire counsel, saying the suspect had adequate time to hire a lawyer when he was out of custody.

Law enforcement has also charged multiple individuals with aiding DeHart during his time out of custody, including his girlfriend, Carrie Matthews of Sevierville, his brother Marcus DeHart of Maryville and Knoxville resident Maurice Warren. All three have been charged with accessory after the fact and are pending charges in Sevier, Blount and Knox County respectively.