Riddle pleads guilty in murder case

Jacob Wayne "Jake" Riddle pleads guilty to the second-degree murder of Joseph Timothy Floyd. (T-G Photo by Brian Mosely) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

As tearful members of the Floyd family looked on, Riddle admitted his guilt in the Feb. 2, 2008, slaying before Judge Robert Crigler, who asked Riddle a series of questions about his plea, such if he understood his decision and if it was made of his own free will.

Crigler also told Riddle that second degree murder carries a sentence up to 60 years, with 15 years being the minimum sentence.

Assistant District Attorney General Hollynn Eubanks then read the facts in the case and Crigler asked Riddle if they were true. Riddle said yes.

District Attorney General Chuck Crawford said after Riddle made his plea that the case "was a very tragic situation."

"Our office has interviewed close to 40 witnesses and I think this is a fair resolution," Crawford said.

The D.A. explained that the sentence Riddle agreed to was 15 years at 100 percent, and he will have to complete 85 percent of that sentence before he would be eligible for parole with 15 percent of "good time credit."

There will be no sentencing hearing and Riddle will be transported by the Tennessee Department of Correction on its next trip to Moore County.

Members of the Floyd family had no comment other than "we're glad it's over."

According to the facts entered into the record by Eubanks, on the night of Feb. 1, 2008, Laura Adams had a small get-together at her house on Lost Creek Road and the gathering "evolved into a party" that had about 30 people in attendance. The house is on top of a hill across the street from the Lost Creek Bait Shop.

At first, the party was fine, but at one point past midnight, an argument occurred outside when Joseph Floyd confronted a young man named Will Taylor "over something that Joesph's girlfriend and his friend Palmer Gibb's girlfriend said that Will had said to one of them."

Riddle was near the confrontation, trying to get past Gibbs, a friend of Floyd, to where Floyd and Taylor were "having words." This turned into a fight between Gibbs and Riddle "and then the whole thing turned into a brawl," Eubanks said.

Others joined in, with some assisting and others trying to break up the fight. Small fights spun off of the larger one, with witnesses testifying that some of the fights were rolling down the hill.

Riddle was in the road in front of the bait shop, with some witnesses saying they saw him with a knife in his hand while he was still in the driveway and also when he was in the road.

Witnesses stated that Floyd came down the hill "approached the defendant (Riddle) made contact with him and the two of them went over onto the ground, with the defendant on his back," Eubanks said.

Other witnesses placed the knife in Riddle's hand prior to the contact while he was standing in the road and the two were not on the ground long before Floyd stood up and began to stumble away, his shirt soaked with blood.

Floyd fell at the end of the driveway and despite the best efforts of some of the young people, law enforcement, EMT's and doctors at Harton Regional Medical Center in Tullahoma, Floyd died.

Riddle later turned himself in to a Coffee County deputy, who had him turned over to Moore County authorities.

He made a statement to TBI agent Wayne Wesson and Investigator Robin Holt after begin informed of his rights and waiving them, with included his admission he had pulled his knife out during the fight with Gibbs, displaying while saying "I want him to leave me along or I'm going to cut him."

Riddle also stated that Floyd had "something in his hand," but Eubanks said the evidence showed that Floyd had nothing in his hands.

Eubanks stated that Riddle told investigators that Floyd was hitting him so "I pulled my knife out and cut him. He was on top of me and I puled the knife out and punched it into him."

Doctors described two separate stab wounds to Floyd, one of which penetrated his chest and entered his heart It was the doctor's opinion that he died of blood loss.