Prosecutors in Tennessee say it is ‘premature’ to rule the music star Chris Daughtry’s step daughter as a homicide - refuting reports ...
Prosecutors in Tennessee say it is ‘premature’ to rule the music star Chris Daughtry’s step daughter as a homicide - refuting reports from last week indicating that detectives told family members it was.
Jared Effler, the district attorney of Tennessee’s 8th Judicial District, gave a statement to DailyMail.com on Monday indicating that no arrests have been made in connection with the death of 25-year-old Hannah Price.
Price’s boyfriend, Bobby Jolly, 25, was reportedly booked into Fentress County Jail on Friday - the same day her body was found in her home in Nashville, Tennessee. But authorities have not said whether Jolly is a person of interest.
Officials have also not publicly stated why Jolly was arrested.
'This is a death investigation and any attempt to classify it as a homicide investigation at this time is premature and irresponsible,' the DA said on Monday.
Tennessee prosecutors have denied reports that police have already ruled Friday's death of Hannah Price (above), 25, a homicide
Price, the step daughter of American Idol alum Chris Daughtry, was found dead in her home on Friday night. The investigation is ongoing, according to authorities
Hannah's boyfriend Bobby Jolly was arrested and taken to Fentress County Jail on Friday, although police have not stated if he is a person of interest or suspect in her death
'Further, no one has been arrested pertaining to the death of Ms. Price.'
Price was found dead late on Friday. A medical examiner at the Regional Forensic Center in Knoxville has yet to reveal the cause or manner of her death.
The news site TMZ reported over the weekend that detectives informed Price’s family that the probe into her death was a homicide investigation.
But Effler on Monday declined to confirm the TMZ report.
Last week it was reported that Price was involved in a road rage incident in which she and her boyfriend were arrested after threatening another driver with a gun.
Price and Jolly allegedly fled from a hit-and-run accident on Interstate 40 in Putnam County last April.
As the couple fled, the pair are alleged to have fired a gun at another driver.
A trooper who was patrolling in the area at the time of the incident pulled Price and Jolly over whereupon the pair admitted to using a gun to intimidate the victim. The couple denied firing the weapon.
Price and Jolly's car was searched leading authorities to find a .22-caliber rifle was recovered, according to ABC6.
Chris Daughtry's wife posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram and posted family photos, such as the one above, after her 25-year-old daughter's sudden death on Friday
Deanna Daughtry said 'our hearts are broken' on Saturday
They were both charged with aggravated assault.
On Saturday, her stepfather - the singer and guitarist Chris Daughtry - posted an emotional statement on his Instagram page in which he revealed he was struggling to comprehend what had happened.
'I am still processing the last 24 hours. I am absolutely devastated and heartbroken. I just recently lost my mother to cancer but I was blessed with the chance to say goodbye and I was processing it privately,' Chris Daughtry began.
'We never got to say goodbye to our precious Hannah and it's another huge hit to our family. Thank you all for your kind words and condolences. They are truly felt and appreciated. I am now taking time be present with my family as we attempt to heal from this devastating loss.
'Hannah, I love you. I miss you. I wish I could hold you. This hurts so deeply,' he added.
His wife, Deanna, also posted her own heartfelt tribute earlier on Saturday together with a multitude of pictures of her biological daughter.
She said the family is awaiting for autopsy results to determine the injuries that led to her death.
Pictures of Hannah Daughtry, 25, such as the one above, were posted by her mother in a tribute on Instagram
'My first born. I love you endlessly Hannah. Our family would like to thank you all for the outpouring of love as we grieve the loss of our daughter Hannah. We are awaiting the autopsy results to determine how Hannah sustained the injuries that caused her death. Our hearts are broken,' wrote Deanna Daughtry on Saturday.
Hannah's final few years were unsettled, having lost her biological father, Randall Scott Price, to suicide in March 2018.
About eight months later, Hannah, who reportedly has two children, and one of her roommates got caught up in a run-in with gang members in Humboldt, Tennessee, the New York Post reported.
She was shot in the face and had to have plastic surgery and be fitted with a prosthetic eye.
The incident reportedly occurred when she was with a teen who was trying to join the Crips gang.
In November 2018, Hannah was shot in the face and had to have plastic surgery and be fitted with a prosthetic eye after a friend got caught up with gang members
Price explained the situation on Facebook saying she had been forced to intervene when her roommate was taken away by gang members and attempted to kill him.
She stated online that she was trying to 'save a friend' when she was shot in the face.
'I noticed they didn't have the gun cocked so by the time I noticed they were trying to shoot at him I was trying to run the kid over with my car and I ended up getting shot in the face. I was blind for a little over two weeks and this happened directly after my dad had committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. It was a lot,' she wrote on Facebook.
In a GoFundMe account set up to raise money for restorative surgery, she managed to raise $945 before the fundraiser was stopped.
Bad luck seemed to follow her: In April of this year, she and her boyfriend Bobby Jolly were arrested following a hit-and-run incident in Tennessee.
Deanna has been the wife of the former American Idol contestant for over two decades. The couple shares 10-year-old twins Adalynn and Noah and 23-year-old Griffin, and Hannah from Deanna's previous relationship.
The grieving mother also posted selfies of her late daughter and a family picture of the Daughtrys in pajamas during Christmas.
Chris Daughtry has now postponed several of his upcoming tour dates in wake of the sudden death of his stepdaughter.
The 41-year-old singer-songwriter - who was in the middle of his Dearly Beloved Tour - has since flown to Nashville in order to be with his grieving family.
In the comments, friends and fans expressed their support to the Daughtrys.
Fellow singer-songwriter Le Ann Womack wrote: 'Beautiful Hannah and Deanna...I love you both.'
Guitarist Clint Lowery wrote: 'So sorry. Sending love, support and prayer.'
Daughtry band member Josh Paul and Sevendust vocalist Lajon Witherspoon also shared their support.
One of Chris Daughtry's representatives confirmed the news and said the singer would be taking time off from the tour.
'Due to the unexpected death of Chris and Deanna Daughtry's daughter, Hannah, all currently scheduled shows for the coming week for Daughtry have been postponed,' they said.
The representative then expressed that the singer and his loved ones wanted to be left to grieve in private.
Chris Daughtry (left with stepdaughter Hannah) has postponed several of his upcoming tour dates in wake of the sudden death of Hannah (right) who was found dead in her Nashville home by law enforcement. The family is now waiting for autopsy results to determine the injuries that led to her death
The performer and his spouse previously welcomed a pair of twins named Adalynn Rose and Noah James in 2010, and they also share a stepson named Griffin with his partner; he is seen with his stepchildren in 2010
Show of support: Many of the couple's followers expressed their sympathy for the pair's loss over Instagram, where they left comments on Deanna's post
Making his thoughts known: Daughtry previously spoke about how he drew inspiration for his 2013 track Waiting For Superman from his experience as a father; he is seen in September
'The Daughtry family thanks you for your understanding and respectfully asks for privacy during this very difficult time,' they stated.
The representative concluded by expressing that the circumstances behind Hannah's passing were being looked into.
'Further details will be made available at a later date. The investigation into this tragic death is still ongoing,' they stated.
Daughtry married longtime wife Deanna in 2000.
The performer and his spouse previously welcomed a pair of twins named Adalynn Rose and Noah James in 2010.
Deanna notably shared an image of a burning candle to her Instagram account on Friday and re-shared the representative's message in her post's caption.
She also went on to change her profile picture to the candle as well.
In the comments, friends and fans expressed their support to the Daughtrys, including country singer Lee Ann Womack
Guitarist Clint Lowery wrote: 'So sorry. Sending love, support and prayer'
Sevendust vocalist Lajon Witherspoon also shared their support
Daughtry also later reposted the image to his Instagram Story.
Many of the couple's followers expressed their sympathy for the pair's loss over Instagram, where they left comments on Deanna's post.
Daughtry previously spoke about how he drew inspiration for his 2013 track Waiting For Superman from his experience as a father and told Yahoo Music about what he had learned during his time as a parent.
'I think every dad probably feels this way about their kids: No matter how old they get or how young they are, you're always going to be there to fight for them, and you're always going to be there to pick them up when they fall down,' he stated.
He added: 'My wife and my daughter were certainly my muses for the lyrical content of that song.'