Jean Shepard's husband killed man after deadly stabbing, family says

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. —The widower of country music singer Jean Shepard was trying to protect his granddaughter when he shot and killed a 21-year-old man in Hendersonville early Saturday, family members said.

But he was too late to save Icey Sloan-Hawkins, 18, her mother, Velvet Sloan, told The Tennessean.

Benny Birchfield, 79, the widower of the late Jean Shepard, was found in his front yard on Elnora Court with stab wounds just after 3 a.m. Saturday,

Hendersonville police found Travis Sanders dead inside the house.

Hawkins, who had been dating Sanders, was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

UPDATE: 2 killed, husband of late country music star Jean Shepard injured in Hendersonville attack

Hawkins had been living with her grandparents to help Shepard, who had Parkinson's disease, Sloan said. After Shepard died in September, Hawkins stayed to help Birchfield with errands and the house.

Hawkins and Sanders started dating earlier this year after a few years of friendship. They broke up after Sanders stole money from Hawkins. He also broke her phone, she said.

Birchfield went to the basement, Hawkins' temporary room, early Saturday morning after hearing the couple fighting, Sloan said.

After Sanders attacked him with a knife, Birchfield went upstairs to get his gun, then came downstairs and shot Sanders, Sloan said.

Birchfield was taken to the hospital for surgery. When he recovered, he was informed of Hawkins' death, Sloan said.

Birchfield was released from the hospital Monday, police said.

Hendersonville police have not confirmed what happened, or whether any charges will be sought, Detective Sgt. Jim Vaughn said Monday.

"We are collecting more information as we go," Vaughn said. "We pretty much have the who, what, when and where, but we don't have the why."

"If they were real quiet, secretive people, we may never know (the motive), but if they talked to someone about what was going on, we might."

Hawkins mostly kept to herself, said neighbor Karrie Collins, who lives two houses down in the cul de sac.

"I was telling my husband, she must have been a homebody, because I never saw her," Collins said.

Collins was feeding her 1-year-old around 3 a.m. Saturday, around the time of the attack. She didn't hear anything, but saw flashing red lights through her bedroom window minutes later.

Collins had met Birchfield before, but said he also was relatively private.

"I wouldn't have thought anything like that would've happened on our street," Collins said. "I can't imagine how (Birchfield) feels."

None of those involved in Saturday's stabbing and shooting had prior criminal histories, according to a review of Sumner County court records Monday.

Autopsies for Hawkins and Sanders have been completed, but a report was still pending as of Monday, according to the Davidson County Medical Examiner's Office.

"It's just such a shame," said Bob Adams, Sloan's fiance. "She was a wonderful girl and a wonderful person, and for this to happen to her, it could happen to anybody."

While funeral arrangements are still pending, Hawkins will be buried next to her biological grandfather, the late country music singer Hawkshaw Hawkins.

It's only fitting for a young woman who had showed so much promise.

"No one knew that she could sing almost just like her granny," Sloan said. "Her granny always told her, 'No, you don’t want to get in the music business. It’s too tough.' But she sure could sing, and she could play the guitar."

Josh Cross contributed to this report. Reach Jen Todd at 615-575-7116 or on Twitter @jentoddwrites.