Jury returns not-guilty verdict in Dixon County mock domestic-assault trial

A Dixon County jury returned a verdict of not guilty for defendant Kyle Busch after a mock trial in the 23rd Judicial District that included testimony from the alleged victim, surveillance images and forensic evidence.

The state called Charlotte Richards, who testified she was assaulted by her boyfriend on an evening the two were at Dixon Sports Bar and later while she was driving home. "I was assaulted by my boyfriend," Richards said on the stand. She described hair being pulled and being struck in the face during the drive and said she later heard gunfire outside the Dixon County Sheriff's Administrative Building. Richards testified she received texts as she drove to the station — including, she said, messages that read, "answer the phone" and "I know you turned the Life 360 off" — and that the defendant followed with a photo of a black Glock. Richards told jurors, "I was terrified. I mean, I feel like he was threatening to use it on me if I spoke to the police." (First reference to Charlotte Richards: Charlotte Richards, victim and witness, 00:10:47.)

Why the jury returned not guilty: The prosecution highlighted forensic links between the gun and casings and stressed the consistency of Richards' account. TBI laboratory agent Jeremy Etheridge testified that, after comparing test-fired and crime-scene casings, "The sample cartridge is a match with 2 c firearm Glock 19 cartridge." He also said an AirTag recovered from the victim's vehicle showed pairing attempts and that Apple records returned an account string of "KyleBush77@Gmail.com." Detective Rachel Ruiz testified officers collected four 9mm shell casings at the scene, multiple clumps of hair from the victim's car, an AirTag behind the driver's-side wheel well and an acrylic fingernail; Etheridge's lab report showed the fingernail matched Richards' DNA sample. (First reference to Jeremy Etheridge: Jeremy Etheridge, TBI laboratory agent, 01:05:34.)

The defense repeatedly underscored gaps and alternate explanations in the state's timeline, evidence chain and interpretation. Defense counsel Shelby Sylvie argued to jurors that "The state has the burden of proving here" beyond a reasonable doubt and pointed to questions about when the AirTag was placed, who accessed the Apple data and why shell casings were found in a part of the parking lot where the white truck on video did not clearly appear. (First reference to Shelby Sylvie: Shelby Sylvie, defense counsel, 00:06:55.)

What the record shows: the court record includes testimony that Richards submitted her phone for a forensic extraction and that text-message screenshots and photographs were introduced as exhibits. Detective Ruiz testified the AirTag was affixed with double-sided tape behind the driver's wheel well and that shell casings recovered outside the administrative building were forwarded to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for comparison. Etheridge testified the TBI compared the submitted Glock 19 to the four 9mm casings and reported a match in a NIBIN report; he also testified that DNA testing on the acrylic fingernail produced a match to Richards' buccal swab.

What the jury did not accept as dispositive: defense argument emphasized the absence of third-party DNA in the car tying the defendant to those interior surfaces, the elapsed time between the alleged incidents and the firearm recovery, uncertainty about whether the AirTag had been placed before the day Richards went to the station, and that no distinct, visible bruising was apparent on Richards' exposed skin given her tattoos. The defense also challenged the placement of shell casings in the lot and whether the white pickup truck on video had been in the precise area where casings were recovered.

The proceeding was conducted as a mock trial with instructional elements for jurors and students; the judge repeatedly paused to explain evidentiary and procedural points. The jury returned a not-guilty verdict and the judge closed the mock trial. The court record shows the case was presented to instruct the participants and observers on courtroom procedure and forensic testimony.

The file contains: witness testimony (Charlotte Richards; Detective Rachel Ruiz; TBI agent Jeremy Etheridge; arresting officers), photographs and video stills from the sheriff's office parking area, an evidence/property receipt listing a Glock 19 submitted to the TBI, lab reports linking casing evidence to that Glock 19, a CODIS/CODIS-like lab document confirming the acrylic fingernail matched Richards' DNA, and Apple-provided AirTag pairing logs identifying an Apple ID string listed as "KyleBush77@Gmail.com." The jury's verdict concluded the mock proceeding.