Naman Shrestha
In 2002, a regular day in Dickson County, Tennessee, turned into a shocking one when the remains of Lee Ann Smith Mangrum were discovered floating in a creek. As the investigators embarked on a journey to get to the bottom of the mysterious case, they faced many dead ends until they found a crack in the case several months later. The entire case is explored in a detailed manner in the episode titled ‘Terror in Turnbull Creek’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Southern Gothic.’ The documentary also delves deep into the impact Lee Ann’s passing had on her loved ones.
Lee Ann Smith Mangrum Was Found Dead by a Fisherman in Dickson County
Lee Ann Smith was welcomed into the world by Betty (Clifton) Wade and Garland (Ruth Saunders) Smith on November 19, 1967. Her arrival filled their household with laughter and joy. She was raised with immense love and care alongside her sisters, Donna Smith, Cheryl Welch, Dana Malone, as well as her brothers, Darren Smith and Jerry Brooks. She grew up to be a kindhearted and free-spirited individual who preferred to keep to herself but was always ready to lend out a helping hand to those who needed it. She was highly ambitious and worked really hard to build a beautiful life for herself.
Her compassionate, affable, trustworthy, warm, and patient demeanor likely helped her form a close-knit circle of friends. At the age of 34 in 2002, Lee Ann was leading a balanced life surrounded by people who adored her deeply and whose presence she treasured. She was married to Terry Mangrum Sr. for several years before they parted ways. She was also a proud mother of two — a son named Terry Mangrum, and a daughter named Alyshia Mangrum. As a doting mother, she had big plans for the future of her kids and wanted to give them a life so fulfilling, they never had to worry about a thing.
However, everything turned upside down on September 8, 2002, when a fisherman called the authorities to report the discovery of a body in Turnbull Creek in Dickson County. When the police reached the scene, they also found a Jeep underwater. They soon declared that the remains belonged to Lee Ann Smith Mangrum. Upon conducting an autopsy, the cause of death was determined to be drowning. However, the medical examiner noted that she did sustain severe blunt force trauma in alignment with beatings from a baseball bat. When the family was notified of her death, they sensed foul play and urged the authorities to investigate further.
Lee Ann Smith Mangrum Was Reportedly Harassed by the Killer
In the initial phases of the investigation, the family of Lee Ann Smith Mangrum claimed that she was with a mysterious man on the fateful night. However, it led the authorities to a dead end. The case remained cold for about a year or so after the murder, until some dark family secrets unraveled. The detectives learned that there was a sense of rivalry between Lee Ann and her former husband’s new wife, Kimberly Mangrum. They had full custody of her two children, Alyshia and Terry Jr. According to reports, Kimberly not only gave death threats to Lee Ann regularly but also forced her kids to say mean things to her.
Upon searching Lee Ann’s trailer, the investigators found several items out of place. Besides that, they also came across DNA evidence that placed Kimberly and Lee Ann’s son, Terry Jr., at the crime scene. With suspicion looming over the entire family, the detectives interviewed the deceased’s former husband, Terry Sr., both her children, and Kimberly. All of them gave different versions of what happened on the fateful night. When Lee Ann’s daughter, Alyshia, was granted immunity, the 11-year-old admitted that she had witnessed her mother’s murder. She told the detectives that on the night of September 7, 2002, Kimberly took her and her brother in the car to their mother’s trailer, while Terry Sr. was fast asleep.
One of the Killers Was Forced to Beat Lee Ann Smith Mangrum
When Kimberly saw Lee Ann arriving home from a sports bar, the former allegedly ambushed her from behind and struck her vehicle’s window with a baseball bat. She repeatedly beat her with the bat, not letting her drive away. Alyshia claimed that Kimberly then ordered Terry Jr. to hit the already wounded Lee Ann with a piece of wood. He eventually complied when she threatened to beat him. Since the mother of two was still alive, Kimberly allegedly instructed Terry Jr. to drown his mother by keeping her underwater. After killing her, their stepmother ordered Alyshia and Terry Jr. to destroy their mother’s possessions inside her trailer and steal jewelry and other valuable items. Soon after Alyshia’s testimony, Kimberly was arrested without incident and held without bond at the Warren County Jail.
As it turned out, Kimberly’s husband, Terry Sr., was also involved, as he not only knew about the murder but also destroyed evidence by throwing the baseball bat into the creek. Thus, he was also charged with accessory after the fact. Several months later, when Kimberly was released on bail, she reportedly vanished and was thus added to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted list. Within 48 hours, the authorities tracked her down in the Bowling Green area of Kentucky. Soon, they arrested her without incident at the Economy Inn, where her car was spotted. She was charged with first-degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated burglary in connection with the killing of Lee Ann Mangrum.
While Kimberly is Currently Incarcerated, Terry Jr. Seems to be a Free Man Today
While Terry Sr. and Terry Jr. pleaded guilty to the charges against them, Kimberly Mangrum decided to take her chances in court. During her trial, her stepchildren testified against her, claiming that she used to burn them with cigarettes. They told the jurors that the defendant also sliced Terry Jr.’s throat with a wire hanger once. Alyshia also claimed that she saw Kimberly beat Lee Ann and force her brother to drown her. Once she was done with her testimony, the defense tried to shift the blame to Terry Jr., arguing that he was responsible for the killing and was framing the defendant.
After hearing both sides of the coin, in 2004, the jury found Kimberly Mangrum guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, and especially aggravated kidnapping. She was ultimately sentenced to life in prison for the murder conviction, in addition to 25 years and six years for other convictions. Over the years, she filed multiple appeals to have her conviction overturned, but the Tennessee Supreme Court denied her request each time. As of today, she is serving her sentence at Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center (DJRC) in Nashville, Tennessee. On the other hand, Terry Jr. was sentenced to eight years in prison for a reduced second-degree murder charge. Since then, he has reportedly been released from prison and leads a rather private life away from the spotlight.
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