A former Tennessee governor's administration helped fund a contract murder of a key federal witness decades ago while embroiled in the state's largest political scandal,.
A former Tennessee governor's administration helped fund a contract murder of a key federal witness decades ago while embroiled in the state's largest political.
Authorities in Tennessee cracked the 42-year-old cold case involving the murder of an associate of union boss Jimmy Hoffa, linking his death to the state’s former governor who at the time was involved in a massive political scandal.
Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston revealed the facts of the case during a press conference on Wednesday, concluding that former Tennessee Gov. Ray Blanton (D) paid a known bank robber to kill Samuel Pettyjohn, who was a close ally of Hoffa, after he agreed to cooperate with FBI agents investigating the state s “cash-for-clemency” scandal.
Federal investigators in the 1970s started looking into whether Blanton s office was engaged in a scheme where inmates could exchange cash for parole, according to The Associated Press. Authorities renewed the investigation in 2015.
Law enforcement officials have announced that a former Tennessee governor’s administration helped fund a contract murder of a key federal witness decades ago while embroiled in the state’s largest political scandal