Juvenile in Detention, Murder Investigation to Follow

Amanda R. Curtis, Reporter

Friday morning, April 12, around 9:45, emergency personnel were dispatched to the 300 block of Mt. View Drive on a call for 2 people shot. Lewis County Sheriff Department, Lewis County Fire and Rescue, District Attorney office, and Maury Regional Emergency Medical were on the scene within minutes. First responders reported that an adult male, Van Franklin Cates, was shot and was deceased. An adult female was also shot and transported by airlift to Nashville for treatment where she is listed as a Jane Doe, as friends say, "she is still in fear for her life."

Lewis County Sheriff Chief Deputy Matt Tiller said that his department secured the scene and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was notified to investigate the shooting. A 15 year old male was taken into custody and has been charged with homicide, and attempted homicide.

And while no confirmed motive has been released as of yet, a close friend of the family says she and several neighbors wonder if more family members are involved and if the story goes deeper than the gunshots.

"Many believe it was encouraged by the boy's dad and his girlfriend that were mad at the couple over not giving them two grand." The family friend is speaking of the alleged murderer's suspected motive.

"They were feuding over money, which happens when alcohol" the friend alleges, "and drugs are involved in lower income families. And the juvenile shooter pretty much was family to Frank and Doris, as they had no children of their own, and they kept nephew's two boys often."

According to those close to the family, the money they were feuding over belonged to Frank Cates. After selling a camper and some land, his family claims he had at least 20,000 known dollars, and Frank's nephew's girlfriend wanted 10% of it to purchase a dog she had been wanting.

"Doris told her husband to tell them no, because they still owed them money, and she already had a bunch of dogs she wouldn't take care of." That's when everything escalated, according to neighbors.

"The girlfriend and nephew, who were also neighbors, began going over to Frank and Doris' place every night while leaving her kids home alone, cussing and arguing, trying to get Frank to give them the money." The neighbors continue, "Doris called DCS on the girlfriend for neglecting her children, and when the nephew learned about that, it was the beginning of what we now know was the end." According to a friend of Doris', she told her that the nephew went to his Uncle Frank's house raving mad and told him he would find his wife Doris in a lake.

That was the last altercation the Uncle and Nephew would have before Frank's youngest great nephew would be charged with homicide and attempted homicide.

"That Friday morning," Doris' friend continued, "both of my friends were shot. Over money."

The girlfriend told police that she did give the gun, registered to her boyfriend, the victim's uncle, to the juvenile great nephew who carried out the shooting. She claims he asked to clean it, and she didn't know he was going to" go shoot someone with it."

"The neighbors can confirm this as well," informed the family friend. "That the law has been called out there on more than several occasions for various reasons, and the nephew and his girlfriend had been told multiple times to stay off their property.

There are several of us who believe the adults put the [15 year old] kid up to do this, thinking he wouldn't get into as much trouble as they would. I'm glad the TBI is investigating this, because that poor boy shouldn't have to carry all the responsibility for this."

As of Tuesday evening, according to friends, "Doris is doing good. She is talking and alert, although still tubed up, but she is going to heal just fine."