Verdict: One found guilty in death of Nashville nurse Caitlyn Kaufman, another acquitted

Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean
·3 min read

After 12 hours of jury selection, 25 hours of testimony and more than 11 hours of deliberations, Devaunte Hill was found guilty of second-degree murder and James Cowan has been acquitted in the death of Nashville nurse Caitlyn Kaufman.

It took two years to bring the case to trial.

The jury returned the verdict Tuesday afternoon in the courtroom of Davidson County Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton.

More:'I did it. I wasn't thinking': What Devaunte Hill said in defense of Nashville nurse's death

"We'll take it," Fredricka Williams, Hill's sister, said when asked how she felt about the verdict. "We can't change what happened. We're still going to support him."

Hill's attorneys Jason Chaffin and Georgia Sims were pleased with the outcome and counted it as a win.

"We were being honest when we told the jury it wasn't first-degree murder, and we trusted them to get the right outcome," Chaffin said.

"Everything we said in that courtroom we believe in," Sims added.

Defense attorney Georgia Sims reacts to Devaunte Hill's verdict of guilty of second-degree murder of Caitlyn Kaufman at Justice A.A. Birch Building in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023.
Defense attorney Georgia Sims reacts to Devaunte Hill's verdict of guilty of second-degree murder of Caitlyn Kaufman at Justice A.A. Birch Building in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023.

Kaufman's family and prosecutors with the Davidson County District Attorneys Office left the courtroom without any comments.

In December 2020, Kaufman was shot to death during her commute to Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West. A single bullet — one of six fired at her — killed her, according to testimony heard during the trial.

More:'It was road rage': Trial in Caitlyn Kaufman killing opens with an accusation and a confession

Caitlyn Kaufman, a 26-year-old ICU nurse at St. Thomas West Hospital, was killed in a shooting on Interstate 440 westbound on Dec. 3, 2020.
Caitlyn Kaufman, a 26-year-old ICU nurse at St. Thomas West Hospital, was killed in a shooting on Interstate 440 westbound on Dec. 3, 2020.

Kaufman’s Mazda CX-5 SUV was discovered wrecked along Interstate 440 between Hillsboro Pike and West End Avenue. A Metro Parks officer spotted the SUV and pulled over believing it to be a single-vehicle wreck only to discover the vehicle riddled with bullets.

The case drew national attention and nearly $65,000 in reward money was raised in hopes of finding the culprits. A tip to police, from Hill's childhood friend Jacques Merrell-Odom, ultimately identified Hill, 23, and Cowan, 30, as possible suspects.

Hill was taken into custody on Dec. 11, 2020, at his East Nashville apartment. Cowan was arrested Jan. 12, 2021, at an apartment complex in Antioch. Both were charged with first-degree murder.

Devaunte Hill stands while the jury walks into the courtroom, waiting for the verdict at Justice A.A. Birch Building in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023. Jury was still deliberating at this time.
Devaunte Hill stands while the jury walks into the courtroom, waiting for the verdict at Justice A.A. Birch Building in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2023. Jury was still deliberating at this time.

Testimony revealed cellphone data placed both Hill and Cowan in the I-440 area around the time of the shooting. Neither of the men knew Kaufman.

Attorneys for Hill and Cowan argued their clients weren't guilty of first-degree murder, which requires both premeditation and intent in the killing.

Assistant District Attorney Jan Norman argued both premeditation and intent were present when Hill picked up the gun to fire and Cowan drove the car alongside Kaufman's on the interstate.

During opening arguments Sims did not deny her client shot Kaufman but said his actions were an impulse and extreme overreaction.

More:How the case was built against two charged in Nashville nurse Caitlyn Kaufman's death

James Edward Cowan stands in front of Judge Angelita Dalton before opening statements at Justice A.A. Birch Building in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Cowan is one of the men who are charged with the murder of Caitlyn Kaufman.
James Edward Cowan stands in front of Judge Angelita Dalton before opening statements at Justice A.A. Birch Building in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Cowan is one of the men who are charged with the murder of Caitlyn Kaufman.

"He wants you to know that even though he did not intend or plan for her to die, he is the person who pulled the trigger and ended her life," Sims said.

Attorney Ron Munkeboe, representing Cowan, focused on the fact that there's no evidence to suggest his client shot anyone. According to testimony, Cowan was the driver of the Cadillac SUV the shots came from. That car later turned up burned less than 12 hours after Hill was arrested.

Hill will remain in custody and return to court March 3. He faces between 15 and 25 years in prison, his attorney said.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: One charged in death of Nashville nurse Caitlyn Kaufman found guilty, other acquitted