RIPLEY – An investigation by Special Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has resulted in the indictment of two Lauderdale County men on charges in connection with a pending double murder case against one of them.

On February 17^th, at the request of 25^th District Attorney General Mark Davidson, TBI Special Agents, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Ripley Police Department, and Crockett County Sheriff’s Office began investigating a social media post that contained a statement from a witness in a pending case against Sequna Copeland (DOB: 3/26/89).  Copeland is charged in the 2018 shooting death of 27-year-old Jessica Hunt and her unborn child.  The post contained a threat of retaliation against a witness who had previously testified against Copeland in a federal trial that resulted in his conviction on two counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm.  During the course of the investigation, Agents determined Copeland and Jacovas Barbee (DOB: 8/15/93) were responsible for the social media post.

On Monday, a Lauderdale County Grand Jury returned indictments charging Copeland and Barbee with one count of Retaliation for Past Action and two counts of Coercion of a Witness.  Tuesday, Barbee was booked into the Lauderdale County Jail on $100,000 bond.  Copeland was served with arrest warrants as he remains jailed awaiting trial.

Barbee is the fourth person charged in connection to Hunt’s murder.  Along with Copeland, Bryson Bonds (DOB: 9/9/85), and Tommy Taylor (DOB: 8/2/79) have been indicted on counts including Premeditated First Degree Murder, Felony Murder, Especially Aggravated Kidnapping, Abuse of a Corpse, and Theft.

Sequna Copeland

Jacovas Barbee