What Happened to Holly Bobo?: The Breaking Point

Summary

What Happened to Holly Bobo?

Episode: What Happened to Holly Bobo?: The Breaking Point
Host: ABC News
Release Date: May 28, 2025

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1. Discovery of Holly Bobo's Remains ([00:46] - [05:51])

The episode opens with Eva Pilgrim narrating the harrowing discovery of Holly Bobo's remains. In September 2014, Larry Stone and his cousin were foraging for wild ginseng along Interstate 40 in Decatur County, Tennessee. Ginseng hunting, as Pilgrim explains, is a lucrative yet perilous activity due to the plant's camouflaged growth.

At [02:40], Larry recounts his eerie experience:

"I walk over to the bucket, I picked it up. But then a feeling come over me. Just something just told me, turn around."
— Larry Stone ([02:43])

Ignoring natural instincts, Larry instead felt compelled to turn back, leading him to discover a three-gallon water bottle and, subsequently, the remains of Holly Bobo. Upon contacting authorities, forensic examiners identified Holly through dental records, confirming her remains after three and a half years.

At [05:46], a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) agent states:

"TBI has been able to confirm through the findings of an odontologist that the remains are of Holly Bobo."
— TBI Agent ([05:46])

2. Investigation and Initial Arrests ([06:07] - [09:36])

Following the discovery, the TBI intensified its investigation, focusing on a group known as the "A Train," composed of local young men with a history of drug use. In March 2014, Zach Adams was the first to be arrested on charges of kidnapping and murder, followed by his friend Jason Autry the next month. Both men denied involvement, leaving investigators seeking further leads.

3. Dylan Adams' Interview ([09:36] - [20:47])

Dylan Adams, Zach's younger brother, became a pivotal figure in the case. Despite his family's assertions of his intellectual disabilities, Dylan underwent multiple interviews with TBI agents. During a critical interview on [10:38], Dylan provided a confessional account implicating his brother and Autry:

"Dylan nods in agreement."
— TBI Agent ([13:43])

However, inconsistencies in his testimony, such as delayed mentions of another individual, Shane Austin, raised questions about the validity of his statements. By [17:58], Dylan admits:

"Yes, sir."
— Dylan Adams ([18:24])

The confrontation intensified as agents expressed frustration with Dylan's evasiveness, culminating in [19:47]:

"What worth are you to us as a witness if I gotta sit here and go through all this hell to get an answer out of you?"
— TBI Agent ([19:47])

Despite his confession, DNA evidence linking the accused to Holly's remains remained elusive, casting doubt on the strength of the testimonies against Zach and Jason.

4. Family Perspectives and Controversies ([23:48] - [30:37])

Cindy Adams, Dylan and Zach's mother, vehemently denies her sons' involvement, emphasizing Dylan's struggles:

"Maybe a little slow in reading, comprehending things like that."
— Cindy Adams ([09:20])

Further skepticism arises regarding Dylan's release conditions. Instead of returning home post-incarceration, Dylan was placed under the custody of Dennis Benjamin, a former Memphis police officer, in a "safe house." Cindy expresses distrust in this arrangement:

"He was the key witness, and he had to be protected. I had no idea where he was going."
— Cindy Adams ([26:04])

Legal experts and Shane Austin's parents criticize the unconventional release, highlighting potential procedural anomalies. Cindy adamantly maintains her sons' innocence:

"I know my boys they're drug addicts. They're not murderers."
— Cindy Adams ([30:25])

5. Shane Austin's Involvement and Death ([30:37] - [39:29])

Shane Austin, another member of the "A Train," emerges as a suspect despite mismatches in physical description provided by the victim. Shane's parents describe him as a competitive and kind individual, deeply involved in sports and community activities until his struggles with morphine addiction began after high school injuries.

In [35:41], Shane details his cooperation with TBI:

"If you don't do it, they're going to arrest him. They've done told me they're going to arrest him..."
— Shane Austin ([35:41])

Despite initially providing information implicating Zach Adams, Shane's involvement remains ambiguous. Under mounting pressure, Shane's behavior deteriorates, leading to his tragic suicide in February 2015. His parents discovered a letter expressing frustration with the TBI but denied any conscience-driven motives related to Holly's case:

"If he was going to take his life over guilt, do you think it would have happened that many years passed."
— Shane Austin's Parent ([38:52])

6. Legal Proceedings and Future Developments ([39:29] - [42:02])

The episode concludes with the escalation of legal actions against Zach Adams, Dylan Adams, and Jason Autry. Charged with premeditated murder and aggravated rape, their trials loom, with the possibility of the death penalty hanging over them. Dylan Adams, once a key witness, is sidelined, and attention shifts towards Jason Autry's involvement.

Eva Pilgrim teases the next installment:

"Another witness would instead become a crucial part of the prosecution's case. Jason Autrey."
— Eva Pilgrim ([42:02])

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Conclusion

This episode of What Happened to Holly Bobo? delves deep into the complexities and controversies surrounding the investigation into Holly Bobo's disappearance and murder. Through detailed narratives, interviews, and family perspectives, the podcast paints a nuanced picture of a case fraught with procedural doubts, familial bonds, and the relentless pursuit of justice.

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Note: Advertisements and promotional segments have been excluded to focus solely on the episode's content.

Transcript

[Deborah Roberts]

Hi, I'm Deborah Roberts, here with another weekly episode of what Happened to Holly Bobo? Remember, you can get new episodes early if you follow what Happened to Holly Bobo on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Now here's the episode.

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[Deborah Roberts]

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[Eva Pilgrim]

See full [e-mail] in Tennessee, September is ginseng hunting season. The plant and its roots are coveted around the world for their health benefits, and for generations, ginseng hunters in the area have foraged the woods to find the plant, to sell it or to make their own tinctures or teas. But wild ginseng is hard to spot. It typically only grows on the shady side of a hill, and it blends right in with other plants like poison ivy and Virginia creeper. But if you can spot ginseng in the wild, you can make a small fortune. And that's why Larry Stone was foraging along Interstate 40 in Decatur County, Tennessee, in September 2014. It was the first week of ginseng hunting season, and this was one of his usual routes. Here he is in court a few years later, recounting that day, showing the courtroom where he was on a map near the highway. He's a big guy out, outdoorsy and tough looking, with short hair and a salt and pepper goatee.

[Larry Stone]

That Sunday morning, the 7th, we parked right here at this cable right here. I got out of the truck, got my water, got my little fanny pack, whatever you want to call it, and took off right down through here.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Larry brought his cousin with him that day. They went down for a ways before Larry turned back around to get something from his car. On his way back, he spotted a ginseng plant and then another one.

[Larry Stone]

But then something caught my eye.

[Eva Pilgrim]

It was a three gallon water bottle.

[Larry Stone]

So I walk over to the bucket, I picked it up. But then a feeling come over me. Just something just told me, turn around. And I'm sitting there thinking the whole time in my head, why is a three gallon bucket sitting here upside down in the woods? So I went with my instinct when the Feeling hit me, said, turn around. And then that's when I found what I am.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Larry tried to yell for his cousin, who was about 300 yards away, because.

[Larry Stone]

At first I couldn't get nothing out of my mouth. I was so stunned. And I finally got his name out of my mouth. I said, timmy, get up here now. And he's like, what? And I said, I found remains. And he said, no, you didn't. You're lying. And I said, get up here now. I'm being serious now. Get up here. I just started bawling. So finally he come up there, and I. I looked at him, I said, please tell me that's one of the things they use in school. It's not real. And he kind of looked at it, and he said, it's real. Well, what specifically did you find that said the skull.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Okay.

[Larry Stone]

And the next one, I looked at him, I said, you know who this could be, right? And he looked back at me, he said, who do you think it is? So that's when I said, I think this is Ollie.

[Eva Pilgrim]

After almost three and a half years, the remains of Holly Bobo have been found right off the interstate near a giant cell tower. Larry and his cousin called 911 agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation showed up shortly after. What they found was a few bones, including several human ribs and teeth, as well as a skull. Forensic examiners saw evidence of animals scavenging the remains, but they were able to determine a cause of death. Gunshot wound to the right side of the back of the head. Along with the human remains, they also found an earring, chapstick, and a purse. After comparing the teeth that were found with Holly's dental records, they told the Bobo family that they'd found her remains. Then they broke the news to the public. The Jackson sun newspaper was there to cover it.

[TBI Agent]

TBI has been able to confirm through the findings of an odontologist that the.

[Larry Stone]

Remains are of Holly Bobo.

[TBI Agent]

TBI agents and the Decatur County Sheriff's Department have continued to work tirelessly over three years to thoroughly follow leads and bring those responsible to justice.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Just a few days after Holly's remains were found, TBI received a call that would provide a much needed break in the investigation. Would Holly Bobo finally receive justice? I'm ABC News senior national correspondent Eva Pilgrim. Pilgrim From ABC Audio and 2020, this is what happened to Holly Bobo. Episode 4 the Breaking Point we are those people. We became those people that no one ever wants to be. Karen Bobo had waited more than three years to find out what happened to her. Daughter. When her daughter's remains were found in September 2014, she finally knew. She spoke to ABC News in 2017 about what that meant. Closure is sure not a good word, because in this situation, there's never closure. But I just. I have spoken with many parents who have never, to this day, still don't have their child's remains. And I truly believe I was at my breaking point. I don't think I could have lived much longer with the not knowing. A few months prior, before they even found Holly's remains, agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation began making their first charges in the Holly Bobo case. One after another, TBI began rounding up the A train, a group of local young men known for their drug use. Zach Adams was the first to be arrested. In March of 2014, he was charged with kidnapping and murder. Holly's remains were found about six miles from his home. The following month, a friend of his, Jason Autry, was charged with the same thing. Remember, Jason is the older friend in that group, in his mid-30s, when the rest of the guys were in their 20s. But Zach and Jason both denied any involvement. So even after they were arrested, police still didn't know for sure what happened to Holly Bobo. Around the time these arrests were happening, agents were continuing to speak with another young man, someone TBI had hoped would become the linchpin to TBI's case. Zach's younger brother, Dylan Adams. In 2014, Dylan was incarcerated on a gun charge unrelated to the Holly Bobo case. During this time, investigators spoke to him at least six times over eight months. Over the course of these interviews, Dylan appeared to implicate his brother Zach Adams and Jason Autry in the kidnapping and murder of Holly Bobo. Dylan's family says he has intellectual disabilities.

[Cindy Adams]

He would have a hard time completing a simple task.

[Eva Pilgrim]

This is Cindy Adams, Dylan's mother.

[Cindy Adams]

Maybe a little slow in reading, comprehending things like that.

[Eva Pilgrim]

His grandfather, Dick Adams, agrees.

[Dick Adams]

And Dylan was. He was slow. He really was.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Later, prosecutors would push back on Dylan's family's claims about his intellectual abilities. They pointed out that Dylan was able to drive and that he could read even if he had trouble. They said it's not like he needed a babysitter to help him all day. According to TBI, in March of 2014, Zach told a fellow inmate heading to Dylan's jail to give his brother a message, quote, tell my brother he is the one who started this expletive, and if he don't shut his mouth, he will be in the hole beside her. Then the following August, according to Court documents, Dylan was released from jail after pleading guilty to lesser federal charges. Ten days after Holly's remains were found in September, TBI received a call. They were told that Dylan had just confessed to taking part in the kidnapping and murder of Holly Bobo.

[TBI Agent]

Today's date is the 17th day of September, 2014. The time is approximately 6:50pm this will be an interview with Dylan Adams present for the.

[Eva Pilgrim]

In the video obtained by ABC News, Dylan is sitting across from TBI agent Brent Booth. Next to Dylan is TBI agent Jeff Jackson, just a couple feet away from him. The three are sitting in a small, brightly lit room around a table covered with papers and a couple of soda bottles. Dylan is slim with short dark hair. He's wearing a black T shirt and sunglasses tucked behind his ears and over his head. Remember, this wasn't the first time Dylan had spoken with investigators. This was the latest in a series of conversations they'd had over that year. Agent Jackson leads the interview.

[TBI Agent]

Let's back up to the day before all this happened and don't leave any detail of any kind out. I'm not mad at you. They're not going to raise my voice or anything like that. I'm not mad at you. I'm very glad that you're doing the right thing and coming forward. Okay.

[Eva Pilgrim]

The agents begin with a light tone, but as you'll learn, they're about to conduct an interview that would later be criticized by members of Dylan's family. In this recording, Agent Jackson tells Dylan to walk him through everything, starting from the day before Holly went missing.

[TBI Agent]

How did all y' all get together the night before this happened? I was out. Zach's officer coming up. They gummed out. We gunned out and they ended up leaving. I mean, they left about 12, one o' clock.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Dylan alleges they did some drugs together at his and Zach's house. Then he says Zach and Jason Autry left. TBI agent Jeff Jackson asks Dylan for more details on what the group talked about.

[TBI Agent]

This is one of the most obviously traumatic few days of your life, and I'm sure that it's stuck in your head like, permanently. So try to. Try to come up with every detail that you can for me about anything that they were talking about, because here's what I'm getting at. There had to been some kind of discussion, whether you're a part of it or not. You're sitting there with them shooting up some dope. There had to be some discussion about what was fixing to happen and why her, why Holly, why, how did she get picked. Which one of you knew her the most? Which one of you thought she was good looking? And why her? There, you see where I'm coming from?

[Eva Pilgrim]

Dylan nods in agreement. Agent Jackson tells him to not leave anything out this time.

[TBI Agent]

Let's make every bit of it right. What was the discussion that led up to choosing her and going to get her? That I have no clue. They'd be talking about going get somebody. I mean talking about finding someone to rape.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Dylan again nods.

[TBI Agent]

What were they saying? We fixing go get her later on tonight. What they said her to find her. I mean this is what they said. It hurt. They didn't say Holly's name. They said her okay.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Dylan nods his head. He says that all four men sexually assaulted Holly Bobo. Throughout much of the interview, Dylan appears alert, looking directly at each agent as he speaks to them, at times nodding along as they speak to him. Dylan says Zach and Jason left the night before in Dylan's truck and that they returned the following morning around 9:30 or 10 with Holly in the truck.

[TBI Agent]

Describe what was she doing? What did she look like? What was she wearing? She had long pants on, pink shirt. Was her hair in any kind of. Was it pulled back down?

[Eva Pilgrim]

Hell.

[TBI Agent]

Was she fighting, kicking, screaming or what was she was at first they brought her in into the half. What did she say? Why? Why are you doing this? Why me?

[Eva Pilgrim]

Agent Jackson continues to question Dylan on what happens next. Dylan says the men brought Holly into the living room, which is where he says she was assaulted. Who?

[TBI Agent]

Who did what first to Holland when she got her in the ground.

[Eva Pilgrim]

As in Jason Autry. Dylan says Jason was the first one to assault her. Agent Jackson asks him what happens next. Dylan claims his brother Zach put a gun to his head and told him to rape Holly or else he'd kill him. Dylan says he raped Holly, then Zach raped her. Nearly an hour into the interview, the agent's tone shifts. He asks Dylan whether Shane Austin had also been at the house the evening before Holly's abduction. Dylan says yes. A few minutes later, Agent Jackson asks Dylan about why he didn't mention Shane earlier.

[TBI Agent]

We agreed that you weren't going to leave anything out. When we started talking, you told me that Zach and Autry left. You didn't say nothing about Shane Austin until I specifically asked you. And then you say well yeah, he was. And then you say well oh yeah, Zach carried it somewhere. Why didn't you tell me that when we first started talking? That's a problem. Do you agree that's a problem?

[Eva Pilgrim]

Dylan nods.

[TBI Agent]

I'm not trying to jump on you, Dylan. You have to tell me the truth. You have to tell me the truth for me to do anything with this information.

[Eva Pilgrim]

As the interview progresses, Dylan's account continues to evolve. He adds details to events already discussed. Agent Jackson periodically tells him to not make anything up and to tell the truth. After three hours, the TBI agent says he has problems with what Dylan is saying and begins to ask Dylan a series of questions. Point blank.

[TBI Agent]

Truth is that while sitting around smoking dope with Shane Alton, Zach Adams, Jason Autry and you at Zach's house, plant got hatched out to go get Holly Bobo herself. Go get her, bring her back and rape her. That happened, yes or no?

[Eva Pilgrim]

Dylan softly says, yes, sir.

[TBI Agent]

After that happened, what was the plan to do with Holly? You don't know what the plan was to do with Holly?

[Eva Pilgrim]

Dylan says, no, sir, and shakes his head.

[TBI Agent]

What'd you think he was gonna do? You know what was gonna happen. You withheld information. Then you were given a chance to come in here tonight and freely spill your guts to us about what you know. And you made me sit in here and pull teeth. Then when I asked you another question or he asked you some hard questions that you don't like, the question you do sitting here going, oh my God, oh my God, what am I going to think? What can I say? What can I say? That ain't how this works. That ain't ever going to work ever again.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Dylan just looks at the agent and blinks a few times. Agent Jackson continues to express frustration with how Dylan has answered his questions. He tells him, quote, what worth are you to us as a witness if I gotta sit here and go through all this hell to get an answer out of you?

[TBI Agent]

Because I'm not gonna sit in here. You have been in here, Dylan, for hours with me tonight. Do you realize how many hours you've been in here? You got here at 5:00. It is 9:30 at night. Why are you making this this way? I'm through. I'm sick of it.

[Eva Pilgrim]

In terms of who killed Holly, in one version, he says it was Zach. In another, it was Jason Autry.

[Cindy Adams]

His problem is he's clueless. He has no concept of what is really going on right now.

[Eva Pilgrim]

And later, Dylan's family would speak out about the unusual circumstances leading up to to his police interview.

[Deborah Roberts]

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[Eva Pilgrim]

Hello, it's Robin Roberts here. Hey guys, it's George Stephanopoulos here.

[TBI Agent]

Hey everybody, it's Michael Strahan here.

[Eva Pilgrim]

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[Eva Pilgrim]

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[Eva Pilgrim]

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[Eva Pilgrim]

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[Eva Pilgrim]

In the last episode, you heard Cindy Adams talk about her older son Zach. In a 2017 interview with ABC News, she shared that Zach's criminal behavior began at a young age. Cindy says her younger son, Dylan, struggled, too, in a different way.

[Cindy Adams]

He just was slow in some motor skills. Even I could tell that Dylan would not stay focused.

[Eva Pilgrim]

She says Dylan was diagnosed with a hyperactive disorder and that throughout his education, he attended special ed classes for kids with learning disabilities. He eventually also got involved in drugs, like his older brother Zach. When Cindy watched the video of Dylan being interviewed by agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, she didn't see a criminal.

[Cindy Adams]

I just see someone being bullied into saying something they didn't do. I think that he was just trying to get through it.

[Eva Pilgrim]

We reached out to the two investigators, Brent Booth and Jeff Jackson, to ask them about Dylan's mother's allegation. We didn't hear back from Booth, and TBI declined to comment on Agent Jackson's behalf. As we said earlier, prosecutors would later point out that Dylan's intellectual disabilities didn't extend to things like driving and that he was able to function throughout the day. But Cindy says she believes even before the TBI interview, there was something bigger going on with Dylan. Remember, throughout the spring of 2014, Dylan had been in jail on that gun charge not related to the Holly Bobo case. In August of 2014, he was released. But rather than going back home to live with his mom, prosecutors arranged to have him released into the custody of a private citizen and former Memphis police officer named Dennis Benjamin. Dylan's mother, Cindy, says she had no idea who this Dennis Benjamin was, and she says she had no way to get in touch with her son because of the conditions of his release.

[Cindy Adams]

I was told that I would not be able to contact him or he would not be able to contact me. I think safe house was more the word that they used, because Dylan was their precious cargo. He was the key witness, and he had to be protected. I had no idea where he was going. They told me that they would, you know, buy him all new clothes, that, you know, that he might get to work a little.

[Eva Pilgrim]

This arrangement is something that has struck me as unusual since the beginning. We interviewed a former U.S. marshal for this story, and I asked him, is it normal for someone to be released into the custody of. Of someone who they don't know and who is a former law enforcement agent? He agreed that it was, quote, real strange. The circumstances of why Dylan went to live with Dennis Benjamin are unclear. The records concerning his release are still under seal. But after Holly's remains are found in September 2014, Dennis Benjamin is the one who calls TBI to let them know Dylan has more to tell them about the Holly Bobo case. It is this call that kicks off the hours long interview you heard earlier. Dylan's brother's attorney, Jennifer Thompson told us that in her experience, Dylan Adams being released into the custody of Dennis Benjamin is not standard. I, in my 28 years of experience as a criminal defense attorney have never ever come across anything as odd as what happened in Dylan Adams federal case. We reached out to Dennis Benjamin to ask him about this and he declined to answer any questions. We also asked TBI for comment as well as the office of the prosecutor who arranged for Dylan's release and both declined to comment. Four weeks after the interview, Dylan is charged with two counts of rape in Holly's case. And TBI comes knocking on the door of Dick Adams, Zach and Dylan's grandfather. Looking for physical evidence to corroborate Dylan's story.

[Dick Adams]

They come to the door there and hand me a search warrant.

[Eva Pilgrim]

ABC News visited Dick Adams at his home in 2024. Dylan and Zach live together in one of the buildings on his property. He remembers that day.

[Dick Adams]

I couldn't do nothing. I couldn't go out the door. They had a man sitting out there watching me, watching the door. It was awful. They left a lot of stuff there. They left spray, cans of pepper spray and pouches. They was laying all in the yard and things out there. They meant to tear everything up. I mean, you can, you can look and see. They meant to tear everything up.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Dick Adams brought our team to where Zach and Dylan lived. When you first walk in, there's a huge slab of plywood where police ripped up the floor.

[Dick Adams]

They knocked a hole in it to see what was back there. I reckon tore the fan down as they was tearing the floor out. They used my pick and things to tear this out with. But they cut it out with a saw. I guess they thought the bullet went to the floor. So they cut the floor out and carried the couch.

[Eva Pilgrim]

TBI took the couch, parts of the floorboard and hundreds of other items from the house. But no DNA was ever found connecting the men to Holly Bobo's murder. ABC News reached out to tbi. They declined to answer any specific questions about the case. So given all this, does Dick Adams think his grandsons were guilty?

[Dick Adams]

I don't believe either one of them was capable of killing somebody or raping somebody, kidnapping them.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Their mother agrees.

[Cindy Adams]

I know my boys they're drug addicts. They're not murderers.

[Eva Pilgrim]

TBI continued to pursue the case against her sons. But it wasn't just the Addams brothers who were taken up in this. Remember, they were part of a larger crew that law enforcement called the a train. And there was another guy in that group, a redhead named Shane Austin. Is this his room here?

[Shane Austin's Parent]

Yes.

[Eva Pilgrim]

In 2024, I visited the home of Shane's parents, Rita and Jimmy Austin. They showed me old photos of their son. How old is he in this one?

[Shane Austin's Parent]

Looks like it's probably his first Christmas. So he'd be about. Probably about a month old.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Yeah.

[Shane Austin's Parent]

Here's some of his home run balls.

[Eva Pilgrim]

The Austins live in Decatur county. They were among the many volunteers who'd gone out in search of Holly Bobo the week of her disappearance in April 2011. But then they said they had to stop once TBI showed up at Shane's door the following Sunday.

[Shane Austin's Parent]

We was very surprised, and Shane was, too, when he called us that day. He said, hey, they just come down here, rolling down through here and searched my trailer and brought the dogs. And he was. You could tell he was surprised.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Around this time, witnesses told investigators that Shane Austin had crossed paths with Holly at the raccoon hunt the week prior.

[Shane Austin's Parent]

We heard that he was trying to take a picture of her and pretending like he was talking on the phone. But now Shane only had a flip phone. So I don't think you could hold that flip phone up to your head and take a picture of somebody.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Like I mentioned in episode three. Shane said he did not remember seeing Holly at the hunt. He said he was out of his mind on drugs at the time. But Shane's name continued to be floated among investigators, along with his friend Zach Adams. Shane's mother, Rita, described Shane as a fun, competitive kid.

[Shane Austin's Parent]

She was one of the first boy children in our family. He liked football. He liked baseball. He liked playing cards. He was very competitive. He was my partner in card playing because we're the only two that could get along. His dad plays for fun, and we play to win. So we couldn't get along, but we could at cards because we understood what we wanted from each other. He always wanted to make us happy and make us proud.

[Eva Pilgrim]

But things changed in high school. Shane got hurt playing football and had two surgeries on his shoulder.

[Shane Austin's Parent]

He needed more and more pain medicine. And then's when I think we really knew he had a problem.

[Eva Pilgrim]

His parents say he developed an addiction to the opioid morphine. Shane's parents struggled with their son, but they didn't think that meant he was capable of abducting and murdering Holly Bobo.

[Shane Austin's Parent]

He was addicted to morphine. And that's what I told the TBI guy when he come to the gate down there. I said, hey, I said, if she'd been made of morphine, I'd say you come to the right place. But no, no way.

[Eva Pilgrim]

You don't think your son had anything to do with.

[Larry Stone]

No.

[Shane Austin's Parent]

No, I don't.

You would have to know Shane. He was a. He was kind. He likes dogs. He loves his dogs.

And he would pick up strays. He didn't even like to shoot deer. Okay. He's not. He wanted to be a deer hunter, but he didn't really want to shoot a deer. So I just. I don't believe that for one minute.

That is a far step for somebody that's. I know Shane had a lot of traffic violations and. And some stuff, but that's a big step to go from and take a life. To take a life.

[Eva Pilgrim]

With his bright red hair. Shane did not match the description Clint Bobo gave to police of Holly's abductor. But police continued to pursue him. After they charged Zach Adams in March 2014. They questioned Shane again about whether he was involved. Shane accepted an immunity deal to cooperate and tell them what he knew about his friend's involvement. Shane's father said Shane did so out of fear. Not fear because he was guilty, but fear over how he could possibly afford going to trial. Shane's father says a lawyer advised them to take the deal.

[Shane Austin's Parent]

If you don't do it, they're going to arrest him. They've done told me they're going to arrest him and he said it's going to cost 60 plus thousands of dollars. So us three, we talked and. And we agreed.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Shane signed the deal. According to authorities, Shane said Zach Adams came to pick him up at 9 or 10am on the morning of Holly's ABD. He says they drove around to get gas and pick up some pills. Shane also told authorities that he later heard Zach Adams make incriminating comments about what happened to Holly. A month and a half after the abduction, Shane says Zach told him that he killed Holly Bobo and put her in the Tennessee River. But Shane says he didn't see Zach do anything and that he didn't believe that what Zach told him was true. Investigators believed Shane knew more than he was telling, and they revoked that immunity deal. According to Shane's parents, TBI agents kept pushing Shane for more information.

[Shane Austin's Parent]

If they wasn't here, they was calling him harassing him. So we didn't have any peace. I mean, the people that's dealing this thing have a lot of power.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Throughout 2014, things took a turn for the worse for Shane.

[Shane Austin's Parent]

People didn't want to have nothing to do with him. He was pretty much ostracized in this community.

That's when he was. He got bad again. I don't know if it was them calling him or whatever, but anyway, his drug use just escalated and that's from that, so. And Christmas last time.

[Eva Pilgrim]

We stink. In February 2015, Shane Austin's body was discovered in a hotel room. He had taken his own life.

[Shane Austin's Parent]

Our life will never be normal again. Karen Balbo's life will never be normal again. Or Dana's. Like I said, this has affected so many lives.

[Eva Pilgrim]

After his death, Shane's parents say they found an undated letter in his belongings. In the letter, Shane writes about the frustration he feels being targeted by tbi. He writes, quote, the current administration at the TBI is now willing to hang three innocent men. Knowingly, I know we are not perfect and we have made many mistakes, but I have never physically hit any woman. We asked his mom what she thought about rumors Shane had taken his own life out of guilt for his role in Holly bobo's murder.

[Shane Austin's Parent]

Well, if he was going to take his life over guilt, do you think it would have happened that many years passed. But I'm probably going to say he lost his job. He was coming back home to live with his mom and dad. Flat broke, addicted to drugs. That's kind of what I think. But, you know, there wasn't a note. I don't believe for one minute it had anything to do with Holly bobo's him killing her.

[Eva Pilgrim]

The morning of June 3, 2015, three men were escorted into the Decatur county courthouse with armed guards. Brothers Dylan Adams, Zach Adams and their friend Jason Autry were now each charged with a brand new set of crimes. Premeditated first degree murder, aggravated rape. An aggravated. All three would also face the death penalty. The first trial would be the state versus Zach Adams. But in the two years before that trial began, a lot would change. Dylan Adams would go from being a key witness for TBI to being kept off the stand completely. Another witness would instead become a cross crucial part of the prosecution's case. Jason Autrey. That's next time on what happened to Holly bobo. What happened to Holly Bobo is a production of ABC Audio in 2020, hosted by me, Eva Pilgrim. The series was produced by Camille Peterson, Julia nutter, Kiara powell, Orhanna and Meg Fierro with help from Audrey Mostek and Amira Williams. Our supervising producer is Susie Liu. Music and mixing by Evan Viola. Special thanks to Liz Alessi, Janice Johnston, Michelle Margulaz, Sean Dooley, Christina Corbin, Karen McGurl, Andrew Paparella and Emma Pisha. Josh Cohan is our director of podcast programming. Laura Mayer is our executive producer. Foreign Roberts here. Hey, guys, it's George Stephanopoulos here.

[TBI Agent]

Hey, everybody, it's Michael Strahan here.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Wake up with Good Morning America.

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Eva Pilgrim]

Hi, I'm Brad Milkey. I'm the host of the Crime Scene Weekly, a new show from ABC Audio about the latest headlines in true crime. This week, I'm talking about the shocking allegations against the Alexander brothers.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Once the golden boys of luxury were real estate now facing serious sex crime charges.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Listen to the Crime Scene Weekly on Apple, Spotify, Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts.