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After an investigation that spanned nearly five years and included hundreds of potential suspects, authorities believe a custody dispute was the catalyst behind the tragic killing.  Jacob Bishop, a Tennessee National Guardsman was found bound with zip ties and fatally shot in his Lenoir City apartment in 2019.

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Murder of Tennessee National Guardsmen

On Tuesday, officials in Loudon County announced the arrests of Amanda Bishop, 39, and Eric Byrd, 39, both charged with first-degree murder in connection with Bishop’s death.

 Jacob Bishop, who had recently returned from a deployment in Poland, was Amanda Bishop’s husband at the time of the killing. Byrd, a resident of Lenoir City, is Amanda Bishop’s cousin, according to reports.

The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office revealed that the suspects were apprehended without incident. Their bonds have been set at $1 million each. As of Thursday night, court records were not yet available, and it remains unclear if either Amanda Bishop or Eric Byrd has legal representation.

Motive Tied to Custody Dispute

During a news conference, Loudon County Sheriff Jimmy Davis suggested that a heated custody dispute involving the couple’s child played a significant role in the animosity that led to the murder. 

Additional details about the dispute have not been disclosed. But it appears to have been a driving factor in the events that unfolded.

Jacob’s family has been hoping for justice since his murder. His brother, Josh Bishop, commented on the arrests.

“It’s kind of a relief in a sense, but at the same time, it doesn’t change anything. I still don’t have my brother. My mom still doesn’t have her son,” he said. “But as far as justice, it’s nice to know where they are, you know what I mean, so no one can do this again.”

Efforts to contact Amanda Bishop’s family have been unsuccessful.

The 2019 Crime Scene

Jacob Bishop’s lifeless body was discovered in his Lenoir City apartment on the morning of October 1, 2019, by his mother, Diane Bishop. 

According to the sheriff’s office, the victim had been bound and shot multiple times. 

His mother found her son after he failed to show up for work. She described the traumatic experience in a 2021 interview with WBIR-TV.

“When you find your son dead on the floor in his apartment, that’s something that sticks in your brain,” Diane Bishop recounted. “It doesn’t go away.”

She spoke fondly of her son, describing him as a “very good man,” though she acknowledged he was not without his flaws.

A Complex Investigation

The investigation into Jacob Bishop’s murder was extensive and involved more than a dozen law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and a sheriff’s office in Texas. 

Former Loudon County Sheriff Tim Guidner had described the case as “complex” but emphasized that it had never gone cold.

At the time, the sheriff’s office had identified approximately 400 possible suspects with ties to Jacob Bishop. 

Sheriff Davis noted that Amanda Bishop had been considered a top suspect from the beginning. And claims the arrests are the result of diligent detective work and advancements in technology.

While Sheriff Davis acknowledged that there may never be full closure in such a case, he expressed relief that justice might finally be served for Jacob Bishop’s family.

“I don’t think there’s really closure in a case like this,” Davis said. “But we can at least try and give her some justice.”