Tenn. man charged with murder and abuse of corpse

Tenn. man charged with murder and abuse of corpse
July 17, 2026

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Tenn. man charged with murder and abuse of corpse

SUMNER CO., Tenn. (WTVF) — A Sumner County man has been charged with murder and abuse of a corpse after he told police that he killed his mother’s cousin with a hammer, then stripped and engaged in sexual intercourse with the body.

Charley C. Chronister, 46, was booked into the Sumner Co. jail on Wednesday and is being held without bond on one count of first-degree murder and one count of abuse of a corpse.

Authorities told NewsChannel 5 that police went to Chronister’s homer after he called them. When police arrived, they said they found a body and arrested Chronister.

Detectives then say Chronister admitted to having an argument with the woman before beating her to death with a hammer. Chronister then admitted to allegedly stripping the body, trying to clean up the blood, and engaging in sexual intercourse with the body.

Details on the victim have not been released and officials said the case remains under investigation.

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