An arrest has been made in connection with a fire started in an Athens, Tennessee, church, and police believe the suspect killed a woman inside before setting the blaze. Kyle Jay Hickox has been charged with second-degree murder in the case.
Surveillance footage captured Hickox in the area several times before and after the historic church was burned to the ground earlier this month. The victim, Linda Buchanan, was found dead in the church, but police determined she was killed by another person before the fire was ignited.
In the footage, Hickox is seen running across the property of the nearby Athens YMCA and onto the property of Tennessee Wesleyan University. He entered a maintenance building at the college, where a worker ordered him to leave. Hickox responded that he “would get God’s water” before exiting the building.
The maintenance worker then observed Hickox running toward St. Mark AME Zion Church and entering through the back door. About 10 minutes later, Hickox was seen running through the YMCA property toward the college’s soccer field. He removed his shirt, wrapped it around one hand, and used a hose to spray his body off, according to the surveillance footage.
Police executed a search warrant on Hickox’s Athens home and found clothing they believe he wore when the church was set on fire. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Lab confirmed that blood on Hickox’s left shoe matched Buchanan’s blood.
Hickox was booked into the McMinn County Jail but has since been released. Additional charges are pending in the case. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
