Holly Bobo was a 20-year-old nursing student when she was kidnapped from her home in Tennessee in 2011. A massive search for her ensued through the nearby woods, where she was last seen walking. It was not until three years later that her body was found. Three men were charged and arrested for her death after it was ruled a homicide. Zachary Adams was convicted in 2017 of raping and killing Holly Bobo. He was sentenced to life in prison with an additional 50 years. A petition was filed at the beginning of this year for a new trial for Adams. Judge J. Brent Bradberry recently denied the petition by filing a motion to dismiss.
The Trial
Zachary Adams, Jason Autry, and John Dylan Adams all faced charges for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of Holly Bobo. John Dylan Adams, Zachary Adams’ younger brother, pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Autry did not stand trial himself but instead was a key witness for the prosecution in Zachary Adams’ trial. He received leniency during his sentence for his testimony. Autry was only sentenced to 8 years in prison. Autry was released in 2020 but arrested months later for federal weapons violations. He was sentenced to another 19 years on that charge.
Investigators found no DNA on Holly Bobo to connect her to Adams. They relied solely on testimony from friends and fellow inmates. Autry testified against Adams, describing the details of Holly Bobo’s kidnapping and murder. He told the jury that Adams’ told him he and his brother had kidnapped and raped Bobo before loading her into a truck and driving her to a river. When they got to the river, Autry acted as a lookout while Adams shot Bobo in the back of the head. During the trial, none of the perpetrators showed any emotion or remorse for their actions.
Petition for a Retrial
Zachary Adams filed an appeal, which was denied back in 2022. However, a petition for a new trial surfaced in January of this year. In his petition, he references statements made by Jason Autry, who wishes to recant his testimony. Autry claims to have made up the entire story he told the jury on the stand to save himself from a life sentence. The petition states Autry created the story while he sat in his jail cell reviewing discovery evidence. On September 10, Judge Bradberry ruled that Autry failed to provide any evidence that Adams might be innocent or that someone else was responsible.
Final Thoughts
Zachary Adams was sentenced to life in prison and then some for the brutal killing of Holly Bobo. His friend, Jason Autry, helped secure his fate. Although Autry attempted to recant his testimony, it will not be taken into consideration at this time. The district attorney in the case claims that Adams would have been convicted even without Autry’s testimony. In the Judge’s ruling, he stated, “Mr. Autry’s new statements do not leave this Court without serious or substantial doubt that Mr. Adams is actually innocent.”
In an interview with a Tennessee news operation, Zachary Adams claims not to know who murdered Holly Bobo. He has maintained his innocence since the day he was arrested. He said the only reason he took the plea deal was to avoid the death penalty. When WSMV4 asked what Adams would say to Holly Bobo’s family about requesting a new trial, he said, “Tell them to think about my family. Think about an innocent person being in prison for something they didn’t do. And the real person still being out there.”
