Suvechha Sarkar
Holly Lynn Bobo was a 20-year-old nursing student with a promising life ahead of her. However, her beautiful life took a grim turn in April 2011, when she was kidnapped from her home in Decatur County, Tennessee. Ultimately, her remains were discovered three years after her kidnapping. ABC’s ’20/20: A Deadly Scream’ examines the circumstances surrounding her murder and the investigation that led authorities to two brothers, Zachary Rye Adams, AKA Zach, and John Dylan Adams, and two cousins, Jason Wayne Autry and Shayne Kyle Austin. The episode also features emotional interviews with Holly’s loved ones and authorities who worked tirelessly to uncover the truth.
Dylan, Shayne, Jason, and Zach Came Under Scrutiny in the Holly Bobo Case
Shayne Kyle Austin was born in 1985 to Jimmy and Rita Austin. He grew up in Parsons, Tennessee, and his parents described him as the life of the party. He used to play football in high school, but between his 9th and 10th grades, he dislocated his shoulder while playing. According to Rita, Shayne’s problems with drugs began after his first surgery. As he struggled with addiction, his parents provided him with a trailer to live in. Growing up, Shayne was close to his cousin, Jason Wayne Autry. Jason was born on October 10, 1974, in Tennessee. It is essential to note that public reports do not specify details about his early life. He and Shayne were friends with two brothers, Zachary Rye Adams, AKA Zach, and John Dylan Adams. Zach and Dylan were born on June 7, 1984, and August 9, 1988, respectively, to Timothy and Cindy Adams.
Cindy recalled that while Zach was a talented student, Dylan was a “people pleaser” and someone with an “intellectual disability.” By the time Timothy and Cindy parted ways, Timothy was struggling with drug problems. Following his parents’ divorce, Dylan went to live with his father before Timothy passed away in a vehicle collision. While Dylan also began dealing with drug problems, Zach had several run-ins with the law. Shayne, Jason, Dylan, and Zach came under the radar of the authorities when they began investigating the kidnapping of Holly Lynn Bobo, which happened on April 13, 2011. Around 2 years into the investigation, detectives reportedly followed up on a lead involving the four friends, Shayne, Jason, Dylan, and Zach, after they made a few comments about Holly that raised suspicion.
According to police records, investigators first learned that Shayne had allegedly crossed paths with Holly, and he was accused of stalking her during a local event. Hence, officials first searched his trailer but found no evidence connecting Shayne to Holly’s disappearance. Upon receiving no viable leads, they reportedly offered Shayne immunity regarding drug-related charges. Reports state that the deal also depended on finding Holly’s remains, but Shayne was unable to provide that information to the police. In his statements, he claimed that Zach had once said he would hurt someone just as he did to Holly, but Shayne insisted that he didn’t think Zach was telling the truth. Detectives reportedly found Shayne uncooperative and untruthful, leading to the revocation of his immunity deal.
Dylan’s Inconsistent Statements Put Him, Zach, and Jason Behind Bars
In 2014, authorities arrested Dylan when he was hanging out with a felon in possession of firearms. Police records indicate that during that time in custody, Dylan was questioned multiple times about Holly’s whereabouts, but he denied knowing anything. Eventually, he entered a plea deal and pleaded guilty to lesser federal charges. After he was released, he was placed in protective custody at the house of a former police officer. Around that time, Dylan claimed that he, along with Shayne, Zach, and Jason, had abducted Holly and brought her to Zach’s house, where they sexually assaulted her.
Investigative reports indicate that he alleged Jason shot Holly and then changed his statements, claiming that Zach was the killer. Following his statements, officials reportedly conducted a thorough search at Zach’s residence, but the forensic experts were unable to uncover any physical evidence. On the other hand, they also learned that Jason has a criminal history. Jason and Zach were ultimately taken into custody in March 2014. Zach and Jason were indicted on the charges of especially aggravated kidnapping and first-degree felony murder on March 5, 2014, and April 29, 2014, respectively. Eventually, Holly’s remains were discovered in September 2014.
Soon after, investigators recovered the possible murder weapon, which was a .32 caliber pistol, belonging to Shayne. According to official reports, it wasn’t long before Dylan recanted his statements about the crime. He alleged that he had to make a confession under coercion. Ultimately, Dylan was arrested and charged with tampering with evidence on September 17, 2014. Furthermore, he was indicted on the charge of rape on October 14, 2014. In May 2015, Zach, Dylan, and Jason faced a revised indictment on the charges of premeditated murder, aggravated rape, and murder in the perpetration of aggravated kidnapping.
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While Shayne Died by Suicide, Dylan and Jason Are Incarcerated at State and Federal Prisons, Respectively
On February 23, 2015, Shayne was found hanging from a hotel room in Bartow, Florida, which was later ruled as a suicide. Shayne never officially faced any charges in relation to Holly’s case. Zach was the only one among Jason and Dylan to undergo a jury trial. During the trial, which began in September 2017, Jason testified as a star prosecution witness. During his testimony, Jason claimed that Shayne, Zach, and Dylan were originally the ones who kidnapped Holly before all four of them sexually assaulted her. According to court records, Jason testified that the four of them then took Holly to a bridge area near the river, where Zach shot her. On the contrary, the defense contended that the case was highly circumstantial and that no evidence pointed to the four friends.
On September 23, 2017, Zach was convicted of all his charges and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murder the following day. He was also sentenced to 25 years in prison for each of the other two charges, to be served consecutively. Jason reportedly entered a plea deal and pleaded guilty to facilitation of especially aggravated kidnapping and solicitation to commit murder. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison, with credit for time served. Similarly, Dylan pleaded guilty to especially aggravated kidnapping and facilitation of first-degree murder on January 18, 2018. Right after, he received a 35-year term for the first charge and a 15-year term for the second. On September 16, 2020, Jason was released on supervision.
Jason was arrested again on December 3, 2020, on the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On November 22, 2022, he pleaded guilty to three counts of the charge and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison on June 24, 2024. While Jason is scheduled to be released on September 25, 2040, Dylan’s sentence is set to end on June 22, 2048. By February 2024, Jason recanted his testimony, claiming he lied during Zach’s trial to avoid going to prison for life. As of writing, Jason is incarcerated at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. While Dylan is serving his time at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee, Zach is currently incarcerated at the Morgan County Corrections Department in Wartburg, Tennessee.
