Judge to decide whether man found guilty in Holly Bobo murder will get new hearing

SAVANNAH, TENN. (WKRN) — A judge is set to rule as to whether there will be a new evidentiary hearing in the case of murdered 21-year-old nursing student Holly Bobo.

In a videotaped interview from December 2023, a key witness in the case against convicted murderer and rapist Zachary Adams said he lied when he told the jury about Adams’ involvement in Bobo’s death.

Jason Autry was sentenced to eight years for his involvement in Bobo’s kidnapping, rape and murder. He was originally facing a longer sentence, and potentially the death penalty, had he not entered into an agreement with the State and testified against Adams during the trial.

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Adams has maintained his innocence but his prior requests for a retrial have been denied.

However, with Autry recanting his testimony, Adams has filed for a new evidentiary hearing in the case. On Friday, Judge Bradberry heard arguments from the State of Tennessee and Adams’ attorneys as to whether Autry’s new admission warrants a new trial.

District Attorney General Jennifer Nichols argued that in addition to not having properly submitted relevant documents . Nichols argued their case against Adams holds even without Autry’s testimony and Autry’s credibility was part of the 2017 trial.

“I stood here when the Hardin County jury in that box turned verdicts against Zachary Rye Adams,” Nichols said. “It was an eight-count indictment and after each county Judge McGinley polled the jury. So, if you were in this courtroom you heard 96 ‘guilty’s.'”

Adams’ attorney, Douglas Bates, noted Autry was under the threat of the death penalty if he did not testify against Adams and the testimony reduced his sentence to just eight years.

“I’m not saying that Mr. Autry stood on his innocence for years. The question will be what made him change in the fall of 2016. Mr. Autry said in his video, ‘It was because I didn’t think I had a chance at trial,'” Bates told the Judge.

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Bates also argued that some of the state’s procedural arguments shouldn’t supersede finding out what truly happened in this case.

“I want to remind the court; I am asking for an evidentiary hearing. I am not here to convince you how to rule in that evidentiary hearing,” Bates said.

Judge Bradberry requested additional information from both parties within the next couple of weeks and said he would issue a ruling a few weeks after he gets it.

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