The Robbery

Summary

Park Predators: “The Robbery” (December 16, 2025)

Podcast: Park Predators
Host: Delia D'Ambra (Audiochuck)
Episode Focus: The unsolved 2017 murder and attempted robbery of Kathy Hardy in Renaissance Park, Chattanooga, Tennessee, as told through investigative journalism and firsthand interviews.

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Episode Overview

Delia D’Ambra takes listeners deep into Renaissance Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to unravel a haunting, unsolved case. In July 2017, Kathy Hardy was killed during an apparent robbery while her husband, Shawn Hardy, survived. Delia’s investigation uniquely centers Shawn’s voice, with his first in-depth public interview. The case, which remains unresolved, reveals not just the brutality and randomness of violence in public spaces, but also the lingering effects of trauma, suspicion, and the quest for justice.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Scene and Introducing the Case (02:13–05:00)

• Delia introduces Renaissance Park: an urban park in Chattanooga, transformed from an industrial space, popular with residents and visitors.
• She emphasizes that the crime "remains shrouded in mystery and still needs resolution" (03:54).

2. The Night of the Crime: July 15, 2017 (05:00–07:53)

• Kathy and Shawn Hardy, visiting from Huntsville, Alabama, planned a relaxing night at Renaissance Park.
• They joined crowds enjoying a movie night, walked along the river, and admired sculptures.
• Suddenly, Shawn felt a gun pressed to his head; a man's voice forced him and Kathy onto a pier.
• Three men were involved, demanding the couple’s belongings. The robbery escalated—Shawn intervened when the assailants ordered Kathy to undress.
• Violence erupted: Shawn was struck, heard gunshots, and fell below the pier, unable to see Kathy but heard her scream, then two more gunshots.
• Shawn struggled up the embankment for help, eventually reaching a security guard who called 911.

“Once they were out on the pier, Shawn turned around and saw that there were actually three men behind him, not just one.” (05:43)

3. Immediate Aftermath and Shawn’s Treatment by Police (07:54–10:40)

• Police arrived after midnight, found Kathy dead on the pier.
• Shawn, injured and traumatized, was treated as a primary suspect—endured an intense eight-hour interrogation.
• He described feeling so gaslit by police he “nearly became convinced that he'd committed the crime, even though he knew he hadn't.” (09:30)
• Eventually, witness statements and surveillance footage corroborated his story.
  • Police identified three men fleeing the scene in a white Dodge Charger.

“He felt like he was being treated as a suspect from the get go and that investigators did not believe his story.” (09:00)

4. Kathy and Shawn’s Story (10:41–12:59)

• Their history: high school sweethearts who overcame hardship, raised two close sons. Kathy remembered as peaceful and kind.
• The violence robbed their family of a central figure, and Shawn remains deeply affected, grappling with guilt and grief.

“She usually tried to find the good in everyone and was always kind, regardless of what was going on in her own life.” (12:11)

5. The Investigation and First Suspect: Tyre Corley (14:25–18:55)

• Police cross-referenced nearby robberies—linked to Tyre Corley via another holdup and car description.
• Shawn identified Tyre in a photo lineup immediately.
• Tyre was arrested and charged but attempted suicide in jail, dying shortly after. Charges were dropped posthumously.
  • Notably, Tyre reportedly confessed to involvement and named an accomplice—Davohnte Sadler—before dying.

“Within seconds of seeing the lineup, Sean immediately identified the 22-year-old as the man who'd held him and Kathy at gunpoint and presumably shot his wife.” (15:16)

“He confessed to his role in Kathy's murder and he'd named at least one of his accomplices as the trigger man. That individual's name was Davohnte Sadler.” (18:45)

Memorable Moment:

At Kathy’s funeral, her favorite song “99 Red Balloons” inspired the release of 99 red and 1 white balloon.

“All 99 red balloons got stuck in trees, but the single white one drifted off on its own into the sky.” (18:13)

6. Lawsuit and Second Suspect: Davohnte Sadler (22:15–26:00)

• Tyre Corley’s family filed and lost a wrongful death suit against the jail.
• In 2019, police arrested Davohnte Sadler for felony murder and robbery.
  • Break came via a body cam recording at his mother’s house where she implicated him.
  • Shawn recognized Davohnte, but defense challenged the reliability of his identification.
• Despite the judge finding probable cause, the case never proceeded to indictment or trial. Davohnte was later released, arrested again in 2023 on unrelated drug charges.
  • All records for the murder case have since been expunged or withheld.

“A body worn camera on an officer who'd responded to that call Captured davo's mom making a statement that implicated davo was involved in what had happened to kathy.” (23:17)

“I’m having a hard time understanding … why the police department won’t release information about the January 2019 domestic incident or Davohnte's alleged involvement in Kathy's case if they've expunged the murder charges …” (27:54)

7. The Third Suspect and Ongoing Investigation (28:14–29:34)

• The third assailant has not been publicly identified and remains at large.
• Chattanooga PD emphasized their ongoing commitment:

“The Chattanooga police department's homicide investigators haven't given up on finding the third suspect involved in the 2017 murder of Kathy Hardy, and they won't.” (28:14)

• Davohnte Sadler remains a person of interest, not a charged suspect as of this episode. (29:14–29:34)

8. The Lingering Impact: Shawn and the Family (29:35–32:55)

• Shawn describes his ongoing struggle, survivor’s guilt, and frustration with the lack of progress or information from police.
• He suspects the park’s prominent status in Chattanooga led to less coverage and less urgency.
• Shawn last heard from police in 2019, feels "law enforcement has gone to sleep on this case."
• Kathy’s belongings remain in police evidence; Shawn hopes for renewed forensic investigation.

“He wants to get his story out there so that resolution can hopefully come. To this day, Shawn says Chattanooga PD still has all of Kathy's clothing and he hopes they will look at reassessing that evidence.” (31:47)

9. Appeal for Information (32:56–33:32)

• The episode ends with a plea to the public for any witnesses or leads, emphasizing that even small details could make a difference.

“If you were in Renaissance Park in the late evening hours of July 15, 2017, or the early morning hours of July 16, or have had conversations with people about this case in the years since, come forward.” (32:56)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On being interrogated

  • “There was one point where he said he had this wild moment where he nearly became convinced that he'd committed the crime, even though he knew he hadn't.” —Delia D'Ambra (09:30)

• On police focus

  • “It angered him because he felt like the police had wasted valuable time while Kathy's killers got further and further away.” —Delia D'Ambra (10:05)

• On frustration with the case

  • “He told me during his interview that it's been years since he's heard anything from the police department or district attorney's office. He claimed that the last time he got a call was back in 2019.” —Delia D'Ambra (31:21)

• From the police

  • “The Chattanooga police department's homicide investigators haven't given up on finding the third suspect involved in the 2017 murder of Kathy Hardy, and they won't.” —Chattanooga PD Representative (28:14)

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Key Timestamps

• 02:13 — Introduction to the case and Renaissance Park
• 05:00–07:53 — Detailed account of the robbery and murder
• 09:00–09:30 — Shawn’s interrogation experience
• 14:25–18:55 — Investigation leads to Tyre Corley, his arrest, and death
• 22:15–26:00 — Arrest of Davohnte Sadler; legal challenges
• 28:14 — Chattanooga PD statement on the ongoing investigation
• 32:56–33:32 — Community appeal for information

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Tone and Style

Delia’s narrative is empathetic, measured, and always rooted in actual statements and documentation. She privileges victim and survivor voices—especially Shawn’s—while scrutinizing law enforcement’s actions and the gaps in communication and transparency. The episode is straightforward but suffused with emotion, frustration, and a lingering hope for justice.

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Summary

“The Robbery” is a thorough, moving exploration of the killing of Kathy Hardy, a violent incident that shattered a family and highlighted persistent issues in violent crime investigations. Though leads emerged and arrests were made, the case remains unsolved—one suspect dead, another unindicted, the third unidentified. Shawn Hardy's account adds both raw humanity and a driving sense of injustice, as the system’s faltering pursuit leaves the family grasping for answers and accountability. Delia D’Ambra’s reporting, coupled with the heartfelt pleas of those left behind, underscores the urgency for closure and the necessity of keeping cold cases alive in the public eye.

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For further information or to report tips:

• Chattanooga Area Crime Stoppers: 423-698-3333
• Chattanooga Police Department Tip Line: 423-643-5100

Transcript

[Kylie Lowe]

Before you press play on this episode, I want to tell you about my show, Dark Down East, a true crime podcast that tells the stories from my home state of Maine and the greater New England area. I'm Kylie Lowe, an investigative journalist whose passion for ethical true crime storytelling and original reporting always sits front and center. This is investigative storytelling with heart. Listen to Dark down east wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Delia D'Ambra]

I'm your host, Delia D', Ambra, and the case I'm going to share with you today is a story of murder, but it's also a story of survival. It's a case that has more than a few suspects and a living eyewitness. Yet it has remained unsolved. It happened in Renaissance park in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the summer of 2017. So not that long ago, in order to research this story as thoroughly as I needed to, I knew I had to interview the one person who experienced the crime and live to tell investigators exactly what happened. That person's name is Shawn Hardy, and he also happens to be the victim's husband. For years, Sean remained silent when it came to discussing what happened to his wife Kathy. But when I reached out to him and we got to know one another, he decided it was finally time to publicly pursue justice on Kathy's behalf, which is why he did an in depth interview for the first time. His remembrances of what happened to him and his late wife in Renaissance park are not for the faint of heart. Thanks to his bravery and my ability to access a number of court records in this case, I've been able to put together what I feel is the most comprehensive coverage of their story to date. An important detail you should know about Renaissance park is that it's an urban park. It's located on the north shore of the Tennessee river in downtown Chattanooga. It's the former site of an industrial area that's been converted into a park. Lots of people visit here throughout the year because of its eye catching architecture and unique design. According to Chattanooga.gov, it's 23 acres in size and has a pavilion, a number of trails, art displays, historic markers and picnic areas. There are some piers which stretch out over the Tennessee river and it was on one of those piers that the unthinkable happened to Sean and Kathy Hardy. Something that to this day remains shrouded in mystery and still needs resolution. This is Park Predators. Sam. Sometime between 9:30 and 10pm on the night of Saturday, July 15, 2017, Shawn Hardy and his wife, 45 year old Kathy Hardy, were running a little bit late getting to Renaissance park in Chattanooga. The couple was from Huntsville, Alabama, but had been visiting Tennessee to take a break from life and spend time together. They'd been in town for a few weeks visiting with some of Shawn's relatives who lived in Chattanooga. Sean had recently suffered two heart attacks and had surgery on one of his feet, so this getaway was a much needed reset for him and Kathy. While they'd been in the city, Kathy had visited Renaissance park with friends and really wanted to take her husband there so he could see it for the first time. It was a great idea because on that Saturday the park was hosting a movie night for visitors and the area was buzzing with activity. Sean told me he estimated there were about 100 people around when he and Kathy Arrived, he saw folks walking along the trails and even spotted a few people paddleboarding in the nearby Tennessee River. After the couple parked their car and got out to start walking, they made their way down a concrete sidewalk that ran along the river to look at some artwork and metal statues. Near the end of that path, the couple stopped to look at a sculpture. As Kathy was reading a plaque for the piece of art, Shawn stood by her side. Then, out of nowhere, he felt something press hard against the back of his head, followed by a man's voice ordering him and Kathy to walk out onto the nearby pier. Not wanting to upset their captor, Shawn and Kathy complied. But once they were out on the pier, Shawn turned around and saw that there were actually three men behind him, not just one. As one of the assailants pressed the gun against Shawn's forehead, another one demanded the couple's belongings. According to Sean, he handed over their car keys, some eyeglasses, a cell phone, $6 in cash from his wallet, and everything else he and his wife could find, which wasn't much because they were walking around. He said Kathy had decided to leave her purse locked up in their car, so she literally had nothing of value on her. Still, the trio of men forced Shawn to remove his shirt and ordered Kathie to do the same. But Sean said that request was where he drew the line. He stepped between his wife and the three robbers, fearful that they were only asking her to undress so that they could assault her further. While this was all happening, he tried to reassure Kathy that everything would be okay. But as soon as he turned back around to look at the assailants, he was struck in the head, heard a gunshot, and then felt himself fall. A short time later, he regained consciousness and realized he was beneath the pier on some rocks, unable to see his wife anymore. He could still hear her, though, screaming up above. Then two more gunshots rang out. Frantic to get to Kathy, Sean scrambled along the rocks beneath the pier, trying to find a way up the embankment. But the terrain was too steep. He'd just had surgery on one of his feet and was having to use a cane to even walk. So he had to lumber for a little ways along the shoreline until he got to an area he could climb up to get help. The whole time he was scrambling along the rocks, he shouted for someone to help him and tried to get the attention of a nearby boater as well as people who lived in buildings overlooking the river, but no one responded. When he finally emerged from the embankment, he realized he was on property owned by A concrete factory. Thankfully, a security guard there saw Sean and promptly called 911. Shortly after that, the Chattanooga Police Department was alerted and around 12:35am which was Sunday the 16th by that point, some officers arrived where Shawn was, while others went to the crime scene. Police reports state that investigators found Kathy on the pier dead from gunshot wounds, but there were no suspects in the immediate vicinity. Authorities prime source of information to figure out what occurred was Shawn. So naturally they asked him to come down to the police station for an interview. Before bringing him in, though, authorities let him get checked out at a local emergency room. But the whole time, Sean did not get good vibes from the officers who were with him. He felt like he was being treated as a suspect from the get go and that investigators did not believe his story. He was grilled for eight long hours and repeatedly called a monster. There was one point where he said he had this wild moment where he nearly became convinced that he'd committed the crime, even though he knew he hadn't. That's how ruthless and intense he described the officers who were interrogating him. But despite law enforcement's aggressive tactics, Shawn never veered from his story. He was adamant that he and Kathy had been approached by three men and attacked, seemingly in a robbery gone wrong. In police reports, Shawn described the assailant who'd held the gun to his head as a tall, light skinned black man who had a goatee. He described the guy's shorts as being just below the knees. But other than that, Shawn couldn't remember much else from the attack since it happened so quickly and he'd gone over the edge of the pier shortly before his wife was murdered. At some point during his eight hour interrogation, one investigator had been on the streets following up on leads and spoken with several witnesses who'd reported hearing the shooting. One of those witnesses said they'd seen three black men walking in a brisk and determined manner shortly after the shots rang out. And to this witness at least, the men appeared to be fleeing the area toward a neighboring street. Investigators had also located surveillance footage from some businesses near the park that showed three men getting into a white Dodge Charger and leaving the area shortly after the crime. So with those clues in hand, Sean told me that it was really at that point the Chattanooga Police Department began to view and treat him as less of a suspect and more as a victim in this whole thing. Basically, the police realized his story checked out and it was unlikely he was involved in what had happened to his wife. Understandably, though, Sean was extremely frustrated that he'd been zeroed in on as a suspect so quickly it angered him because he felt like the police had wasted valuable time while Kathy's killers got further and further away. In hindsight, he understands why police looked at him. But the unfortunate reality was that there was a gap in time between when authorities were trying to find out what really happened and and when they wrapped up Sean's interrogation. Once his interrogation did end, though, authorities let him go, and he immediately met up with his sister and began trying to grieve the loss of his wife and process the news with his two teenage sons. He and Kathy's youngest son, Brandon, was there in Chattanooga with relatives, but the eldest, Michael, was back home in Alabama. Shawn and Kathy met when they were just 16 years old, and after that they were pretty much inseparable. They'd gotten married young, and Sean still refers to his wife as his soulmate. Early on, the couple struggled to start their family, receiving a diagnosis at one point from their doctors, which told them they may never be able to have children. But then several years after that, to everyone's surprise, Kathy got pregnant and gave birth to their son, Michael. One year after that, the couple welcomed their second son, Brandon. And the way Shawn described this period of time was that he and Kathy's world completely changed in the best way, he said. Both of their sons loved their mom and bonded closely with her. She stayed at home, and Shawn's job was the main source of income. Shawn described Kathy as the type of person who was always happy and she never really got upset about anything. She was peaceful and didn't like conflict, he said. She usually tried to find the good in everyone and was always kind, regardless of what was going on in her own life. Shawn told me that Kathy was always telling him to worry less about things, but when it came to the murder investigation and finding the people responsible for killing Kathy, all Shawn could do was worry and wait. Meanwhile, authorities had shifted their focus onto the unknown trio of men who they suspected were responsible for the crime. In the first week or so of the investigation, authorities caught a lucky break that would give the case the boost it needed.

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[Howie Mandel]

Me that everyone sees. I'm Howie Mandel, the comedian. Apparently I know what funny is funny. Bought me a house. But I also know what isn't funny. Ocd. I've lived with OCD my entire life and people throw the term around like it's no big deal. But OCD is severe, often debilitating. It's a mental health condition that involves unrelented, unwanted thoughts that can make you question your character, your beliefs, even your safety. General therapy can help with some things, but for ocd, it can actually make things worse. That's why I want to tell you about NO cd. NO CD is the world's largest treatment provider for OCD and is covered by Insurance for over 155 million Americans. Their licensed therapists specialize in ERP, the most effective treatment for OCD. If you think you might be struggling with OCD, go to nocd.com to book a free 15 minute call. They are here to help.

[Delia D'Ambra]

According to police reports, in the days following Kathy's murder, Chattanooga police officers reviewed reports of other robberies that had occurred in the general vicinity of Renaissance park before and after the crime. And wouldn't you know it, there had been a robbery on North Market street, which was less than a mile from the homicide scene. A getaway vehicle used in that incident closely matched the description of the car Cathy suspected assailants had gotten into. It was the same color, make and model, which to me sound like details authorities may not have found coincidental. So they dug in and a name that surfaced from the North Market street robbery investigation was Chattanooga resident Tyre Corley. Tyre matched the general characteristics of the gunman Shawn had described to police, but to be sure, officers had Shawn review a photo lineup which included an image of Tyre and within seconds of seeing the lineup, Sean immediately identified the 22 year old as the man who'd held him and Kathy at gunpoint and presumably shot his wife. On July 27, about 12 days after the crime, Chattanooga police arrested Tyre and charged him with felony murder and especially aggravated robbery. A judge set his bond at $1 million. According to court records and police reports, Tyree had previously been arrested in Hamilton county for theft, reckless driving and domestic aggravated assault for brandishing a firearm at the mother of his child. That domestic assault case was still active and going through the court system and expected to end in a plea agreement when Kathie's murder occurred. When word of Tyree's arrest for Kathy's killing made the news, it relieved some residents because people who frequently visited Renaissance park were understandably shaken by the crime. One woman told News Channel 9 that the murder was surprising and Scary. Another resident said he came to the park on a regular basis, sometimes during the early morning hours, and prior to this crime, he'd never felt unsafe in the area. Other residents were rattled by the fact that Kathy's slaying seemed to be a situation of random violence, and they vowed to not go to the park after midnight in light of what had happened. According to an article by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, there were a total of 25 murders in the city at that point. In 20, including Kathy's murder the year prior, there had been 22 killings. So people were certainly on edge, so to speak, about what seemed to be an uptick in homicides. Unfortunately, though, just a few hours after Tyree's arrest, something unexpected happened. Around 2 o' clock in the afternoon on July 27, he was found in his jail cell in critical condition. Authorities confirmed that he had attempted to die by suicide, and though he was quickly taken to a local hospital, by the following day he was declared deceased. Because of that, the murder and robbery charges against him were eventually dropped. Not all hope was lost, though, because according to Shawn, Tyre had provided some useful information to the police before his death. Sean told me that authorities told him in the hours before Tyre was found in his jail cell that he confessed to his role in Kathy's murder and he'd named at least one of his accomplices as the trigger man. That individual's name was Davohnte Sadler. Turns out 21 year old Davohnte's picture had been included in the photo lineup that police presented to Sean when he'd picked out Tyree's image. But at the time, Sean was not as sure about Davohnte as he was about Tyree. Shawn told me in our interview that in the moment he relayed to authorities, he recognized Davante's face and was 70 to 80% confident he was one of the other men in the trio. But he wasn't absolutely certain. And of course, he didn't know Davante's name at that point. He only knew his face. Still, law enforcement followed up on this information and behind the scenes began looking closely at Davohnte. Not much about the internal workings of the investigation were discussed publicly, though, which Sean told me in our interview, seemed to be a strategic decision made by the police department, Chattanooga's police chief at the time communicated to the press. Quote, thanks to cooperation from community members, Chattanooga police identified and arrested the person responsible for Kathy Hardy's tragic death. Even though a suspect was charged, investigators continue to work to locate his two accomplices. I understand the lack of information doesn't help calm fears in the community, but eventually it will help CPD and the Hamilton County District Attorney's Office bring the people responsible to justice. End quote. After making those statements, though, the case didn't really go anywhere. No further arrests quickly followed, and about six weeks after the murder, Kathy's body was officially released to her family. That was the first time Sean physically laid eyes on his wife after the crime. The last time he'd seen her was when they were on the pier together, fearing for their lives. At her funeral in Huntsville, her family released 99 red balloons and one white balloon in honor of her favorite song, 99 Red Balloons. Sean told me that when the balloon release happened, all 99 red balloons got stuck in trees, but the single white one drifted off on its own into the sky. Shortly before the one year anniversary of the murder, the case surged back into the headlines when Tyree Corley's family filed a $700,000 wrongful death and negligence lawsuit in Hamilton County Circuit Court. In that filing, his family claimed that Tyree denied killing Kathy. The lawsuit also stated that jail staff had not properly screened him for mental health conditions when he was taken into custody and he was not properly monitored. The lawsuit claimed that he had displayed outward signs and indications of suicidal behavior, but jail staff didn't take steps to make sure he wasn't a danger to himself. That lawsuit was eventually dismissed, though, because a judge ruled that Tyree had undergone a medical health screening when he was booked into jail and there were no apparent failures on the jail's part. About seven months after Tyree's lawsuit was filed, and roughly a year and a half after Kathy was killed, another twist in the case came when, seemingly out of nowhere, Chattanooga police announced they'd made another arrest.

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[Howie Mandel]

Tell you how often I hear, oh, I'm a little ocd. I like things neat. That's not ocd. I'm Howie Mandel and I know this because I have ocd. Actual OCD causes relentless unwanted thoughts. What if I did something terrible and forgot? What if I'm a bad person? Why am I thinking this terrible thing? It makes you question absolutely everything and you'll do anything to feel better. OCD is debilitating, but it's also highly treatable with the right kind of therapy. Regular talk therapy doesn't cut it. OCD needs specialized therapy. That's why I want to tell you about nocd. NOCD is the world's largest virtual therapy provider for ocd. Their licensed therapists provide specialized therapy virtually and it's covered by insurance for over 155 million Americans. If you think you might be struggling with OCD, visit nocd.com to schedule a free 15 minute call and learn more. That's n o c d.com.

[Delia D'Ambra]

According to coverage by Chattanoogan.com and the Chattanooga Times Free Press, in February 2019, authorities investigating Kathy's murder announced in a press release that they had arrested Devonte Sadler and charged him with felony murder and especially aggravated robbery in relation to Kathy's murder. He was 23 years old at the time of his arrest and the court ordered he be held under what I saw was either a $1 million or $2 million bond. At that point in time, Devontae and Tyree were the only named suspects in the case. The third member of the trio that Sean said had attacked him and his wife had not been identified, and I don't know if that's because no one knew who he was or if perhaps authorities did have his name but were just keeping his identity close to the vest while they kept investigating. Chattanooga PD didn't respond to my request for comment for this episode, so I'm not sure what exactly was happening behind the scenes, but what I can tell you is that prior to devonte's arrest for Kathy's murder, he had been arrested before in Hamilton county, dating back to 2015. Those arrests were for offenses that included domestic assault, theft and drug related crimes, so law enforcement from that area was likely very familiar with him. When Shawn learned devonte had been picked up for the murder, he was happy. He was in the middle of mowing grass for his sister in law and brother, who he'd moved in with temporarily after Kathy's death, and they called him inside. As soon as Shawn saw Devonte's picture on the news, he once again recognized him. Two months later, at a preliminary hearing in April 2019, law enforcement revealed more about what they'd done as part of their investigation and the circumstances that led them to arrest Davante. Zach Peterson reported for the Chattanooga Times Free Press that for nearly two years police had kept tabs on Devonte but were unable to arrest him until they had enough probable cause. An investigator on the case Testified at the preliminary hearing that in January 2019, things changed drastically when the police department was called to devonte's mother's house for a domestic incident. According to the investigator's testimony in court, A body worn camera on an officer who'd responded to that call Captured davo's mom making a statement that implicated davo was involved in what had happened to kathy. So two days later, the police department got warrants to arrest davohnte. It was also revealed in court that back in 2017, authorities had been able to track the white dodge charger that was seen in the surveillance video from after kathy's murder to a home where tyree corley was known to stay. From there, investigators interviewed tyree and other associates of his, which is seemingly how they learned about davohnte during the preliminary hearing, Sean testified, too, and went through his painstaking account of what had happened to him and his wife in July 2017. In his interview with me, Shawn explained that it was difficult to be in the same room as his wife's alleged killer, but he testified because he thought it would lead to justice. He maintained during cross examination that he'd recognized davante's photo when he was shown a lineup by police. But at the time, the trauma of what had happened to him was still fresh, and he could not provide an absolute positive ID. DaVonte's public defender took issue with shawn's memory. He argued that shawn had likely provided a suggestive ID to police and said that there were several days between when the crime occurred and when shawn saw images of potential suspects. He also argued that shawn didn't confirm devontae's ID with more certainty until about a year and nine months later. Despite all this, when the hearing came to a close, the judge ruled that there was enough probable cause to move forward and send the case to a grand jury. That panel would then decide whether or not to indict devonte for kathy's murder and robbery. But that is where the case stalled. No formal indictment came after April 2019, and the case languished. There was no trial, and the third unnamed suspect remained at large. Court records show that davante was released from custody for the murder case at some point, but was later arrested in March of 2023 in an unrelated drug case, According to police reports. For that incident, the hamilton county narcotics special investigations team raided an apartment davohnte was staying at in chattanooga and found drug paraphernalia, Firearm magazines, prepaid money cards, and about 88 grams of fentanyl Davante was charged with felony possession of fentanyl with intent to manufacture, deliver or sell and felony possession of drug paraphernalia. There is no source material that confirms whether any of the firearm evidence found in that case tied back to Kathy's murder. A representative for the Hamilton county district attorney's office confirmed to me that since then, all records related to Davo's charges for Kathy's death are no longer retained by their office because the case has been expunged. When I requested the documents and body cam footage for the January 2019 domestic incident at Davohnte's mother's house, which seemed to be the catalyst that led to Davohnte's arrest for Kathy's murder, though it was a completely separate offense, the city denied my records request. In a statement, they explained that the incident and all the information pertaining to it are part of an active and ongoing criminal investigation. At last check. As of the recording of this episode, court records show that Davohnte's fentanyl possession case has been regularly pushed out on the court's calendar. So tbd on when that will be resolved. What I'm having a hard time understanding, though, is why the police department won't release information about the January 2019 domestic incident or Davohnte's alleged involvement in Kathy's case if they've expunged the murder charges and the domestic incident situation seems to be over with.

[Chattanooga Police Department Representative]

These are the questions I wanted to ask the department. But in response to my request for more information, a public information officer for the police department provided me with this statement. Quote, the Chattanooga police department's homicide investigators haven't given up on finding the third suspect involved in the 2017 murder of Kathy Hardy, and they won't. They're determined to hold everyone responsible for Kathy's death accountable. The CPD homicide unit has a much higher than average clearance rate, which speaks to their commitment to victims and their families as well as the trust many in the community have in the department. Someone out there has information that could help investigators, and that person can stay completely anonymous by calling the homicide tip line at 423-643-5100.

[Delia D'Ambra]

Even a small detail could help because.

[Chattanooga Police Department Representative]

The case remains open. The Chattanooga police department can't share any.

[Delia D'Ambra]

Investigative details at this time. End quote.

[Chattanooga Police Department Representative]

When I asked the public information officer if CPD could confirm whether Devontae Sadler is a suspect in this case, she responded, quote, davonte Sadler continues to be regarded as a person of interest in.

[Delia D'Ambra]

Connection with the case.

[Chattanooga Police Department Representative]

Though investigators emphasize that all possible avenues are being explored.

[Delia D'Ambra]

End quote. While Davante's drug case works its way through the court system, Kathy's homicide remains unsolved. And if I haven't harped on this enough, there is another suspect out there. Sean told me that in those first few years, he didn't take good care of himself. He explained to me in his interview that he didn't want to live without Kathy, but he knew he had to stay strong for their two sons. His family members supported him, encouraged him to keep going, and eventually he realized he wanted to honor his wife by living his life and keeping her memory alive. Today, he works alongside one of his sons doing construction and loves that he gets to spend so much time with them. He says they often cater to his needs and make sure he's doing okay, which is help he accepts, albeit maybe a bit reluctantly. It was apparent to me during our interview that Sean has never gotten over the loss of his wife. He's grappled with survivor's guilt and wishes more could be done to figure out why the assailants targeted him and Kathy. That night in July 2017, he was told by the coroner that Kathy's death was likely quick, but that has brought him no peace. He believes that the killers have gotten away with the crime and he's not at a place where he's ready to forgive, and I don't judge him for that. A theory, he told me, that authorities suggested to him was perhaps the killers didn't make sure he was dead because they likely assumed Shawn's fall from the pier killed him. Interestingly, there isn't a ton of news coverage about this case, which I found puzzling. This murder was really horrible, and it went unsolved fairly quickly. Shawn told me that he and his family were told at one point people likely didn't want the story to stay in the headlines because Renaissance park is a well known tourist attraction, and bad press for the park meant bad press for the city. Whether or not there's any truth to that, I guess, depends on which side you see things from. But regardless, the fact remains that the case hasn't gotten much, if any, media attention in the last few years. So it makes me wonder why. Could it be that there are just no new leads worth local press reporting on? Sure. But what seems more likely to me is that investigators have truly hit a dead end. Shawn remains frustrated and angered with the state of his wife's case because he doesn't understand why there seems to be so much evidence to be able to move forward, yet nothing has happened. He told me during his interview that it's been years since he's heard anything from the police department or district attorney's office. He claimed that the last time he got a call was back in 2019. A few of his family members who live locally have tried to push for more answers or at least get some information about what's going on with the case, but they've been unable to learn anything new. Sean told me that from the very early days of the investigation, officials made him a promise that they would be Kathy's voice and would never give up on her case. But the more time has gone by, the less he believes that's true. He expressed that he genuinely feels law enforcement has gone to sleep on this case and he wants to get his story out there so that resolution can hopefully come. To this day, Sean says Chattanooga PD still has all of Kathy's clothing and he hopes they will look at reassessing that evidence. He also hopes that someone listening to this episode will come forward if they know anything that could help investigators.

[Chattanooga Police Department Representative]

Which is why I encourage all of you. If you were in Renaissance park in the late evening hours of July 15, 2017, or the early morning hours of July 16, or have had conversations with people about this case in the years since, come forward. Please contact Chattanooga Area Crime Stoppers at 423-698-3333 or the Chattanooga Police Department's tip line at 423-643-5100.

[Delia D'Ambra]

Park Predators is an Audio Chuck production. You can view a list of all the source material for this episode on our website parkpredators.com and you can also follow park predators on Instagram arcpredators. I think Chuck would approve.

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