NetCredit Advertiser (13:06)

Netcredit is here to say yes because you're more than a credit score. Apply in minutes and get a decision as soon as the same day. Loans offered by NetCredit or lending partner banks and serviced by Netcredit. Applications subject to review and approval. Learn more@netcredit.com partners There's a part of.

Howie Mandel (13:22)

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 (14:25)

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.

NetCredit Advertiser (20:55)

Netcredit is here to say yes, because you're more than a credit score. Apply in minutes and get a decision as soon as the same day. Loans offered by NetCredit or lending partner banks and service by NetCredit. Applications subject to review and approval. Learn more at netcredit.com partners I can't.

Howie Mandel (21:11)

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 (22:15)

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 (28:14)

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 (29:04)

Even a small detail could help because.

Chattanooga Police Department Representative (29:07)

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

Delia D'Ambra (29:11)

Investigative details at this time. End quote.

Chattanooga Police Department Representative (29:14)

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 (29:27)

Connection with the case.

Chattanooga Police Department Representative (29:29)

Though investigators emphasize that all possible avenues are being explored.

Delia D'Ambra (29:34)

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 (32:56)

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 (33:32)

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.

Greenlight Advertiser (33:57)

Did you know 39% of teen drivers admit to texting while driving? Even scarier, those who text are more likely to speed and run red lights. Shockingly, 94% know it's dangerous, but do it anyway. As a parent, you can't always be in the car, but you can stay connected to their safety with Greenlight Infinity's driving reports. Monitor their driving habits, see if they're using their phone, speeding and more. These reports provide real data for meaningful conversations about safety. Plus, with weekly updates, you can track their progress over time. Help keep your teens safe. Sign up for Greenlight Infinity@Greenlight.com podcast Holiday.

DSW Advertiser (34:28)

PSA from DSW this is your reminder.

Greenlight Advertiser (34:31)

That shoes are a gift. Literally. So unwrap something good, like boots that.

DSW Advertiser (34:36)

Inspire your next big adventure or cozy slippers that give you an excuse to stay in. Or sneakers that feel like pure joy. Because shoes aren't just shoes, they're exactly what you wanted. Let us surprise you so you can surprise them. Find shoes that get you and everyone on your list at prices that get your budget at DSW stores or dsw.com.