Location: Haywood County, Tennessee
Date: December 18, 2022
Accused: Jermis Jones, 44, the father of her youngest son (convicted)
Charges: First-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and six other counts
Status: Convicted November 2025; sentenced to life plus 34 years; motion for a new trial denied October 19, 2026
Perish Tyus, a mother of four, was shot and killed on December 18, 2022, in Haywood County, Tennessee, while dropping off her four-year-old son at the home of the boy's paternal grandmother. The boy's father, Jermis Jones, was convicted of her murder in November 2025, and on Monday, October 19, 2026, a Haywood County judge denied his request for a new trial.
The ruling, reported by WBBJ, keeps in place a sentence of life in prison plus 34 years. Prosecutors have described the case as an act of domestic violence that left a young child without his mother, and the decision closes another chapter in a case that has moved through arrest, trial, sentencing and post-trial motions over nearly four years.
Who Was Perish Tyus?
Prosecutors have described Perish Tyus as a mother of four. She shared her youngest child, a four-year-old boy at the time, with Jones. On the day she died, she had driven her son to his paternal grandmother's home for a drop-off.
Her cousin was riding with her in the front passenger seat, and her son was strapped into his car seat in the back. Neither of them was reported to have been hurt, but prosecutors said bullets struck the car near both of them. Public reports have not given Tyus's age, and her family has not made public statements in the coverage reviewed for this article.
What Happened in Haywood County?
According to the District Attorney General's office for Tennessee's 28th Judicial District, Jones was waiting at his mother's home when Tyus arrived with their son. Prosecutors said he walked up to her car and shot her, and that she died there.
Investigators said Jones then ran, got rid of the gun and hid inside a carport storage closet nearby. Officers found him there and arrested him. The DA's office said he made threats against the officers during the arrest. Prosecutors also noted that Jones had three prior felony drug convictions.
The Brownsville Police Department and the Haywood County Sheriff's Office both took part in the case, according to the DA's office.
What Was Jermis Jones Convicted Of?
After a two-day trial in Haywood County Circuit Court, a jury found Jones guilty on every count on November 4, 2025. The convictions were:
- First-degree premeditated murder
- Attempted second-degree murder
- Aggravated assault
- Reckless endangerment
- Employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony
- Felon in possession of a firearm
- Tampering with evidence
- Retaliation for past action
District Attorney General Frederick H. Agee and Assistant District Attorney Nina Seiler prosecuted the case. After the verdict, Agee called it "a senseless act of domestic violence" that took the life of a mother of four.
How Long Is His Sentence?
Under Tennessee law, a first-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence. At a sentencing hearing on June 29, 2026, Circuit Court Judge Clayburn Peeples added 34 years for the remaining convictions, to be served after the life term. Jones will serve the sentence in the Tennessee Department of Correction.
Agee said his office had asked for the maximum. "Unless Mr. Jones gets some relief at the Court of the Appeals, he will never walk as a free man again," he said at the time, adding that his office's thoughts were with Tyus's family.
What Did the Judge Decide This Week?
On Monday, October 19, 2026, Judge Peeples denied Jones's motion for a new trial, WBBJ reported. A motion for a new trial is a routine step in Tennessee criminal cases; it asks the trial judge to set aside the verdict over alleged errors during the trial. The published reports did not say what grounds Jones raised or how the judge explained the ruling.
In a statement on the ruling, Agee focused on Tyus's son. "This little boy will never see his mother again because of Jones' violent actions," he said. He also said domestic abuse can lead to the loss of loved ones and that his office remains committed to protecting the community.
What Happens Next?
With the new trial motion denied, Jones can still ask the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals to review the case, as the DA's earlier statement acknowledged. No appeal filing had been reported as of October 21, 2026. Unless a higher court grants relief, the life sentence plus 34 years remains in effect.
Prosecutors have pointed to this case as an example of the danger domestic violence poses to families. Anyone in danger can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
Timeline of the Perish Tyus Case
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| December 18, 2022 | Perish Tyus is shot and killed while dropping off her son in Haywood County; Jermis Jones is arrested nearby. |
| November 2025 | Two-day jury trial in Haywood County Circuit Court. |
| November 4, 2025 | Jury finds Jones guilty on all eight counts, including first-degree murder. |
| June 29, 2026 | Judge Clayburn Peeples sentences Jones to life plus 34 years. |
| October 19, 2026 | Judge Peeples denies Jones's motion for a new trial. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was convicted in the death of Perish Tyus?
Jermis Jones, 44, the father of her youngest son, was convicted of first-degree murder and seven other charges on November 4, 2025.
What sentence did Jermis Jones receive?
He was sentenced on June 29, 2026, to life in prison plus 34 years, to be served in the Tennessee Department of Correction.
Was the child hurt?
No injuries to the child or to Tyus's cousin were reported, though prosecutors said a bullet was found lodged in the door beside the boy's car seat.
Can Jones still appeal?
Yes. After the denial of a new trial motion, a defendant in Tennessee can take the case to the Court of Criminal Appeals. No appeal had been reported as of this writing.
MotiveX covers cases like this in documentary form on YouTube.
Comments
Post a Comment