Skeen Indicted On All Charges
MARYVILLE Ñ The man accused of murdering former Scott County resident Sandy Jeffers in May faced a Blount County Grand Jury on Monday, which indicted him on all counts.
Aaron Lee Skeen, 20, a Maryville native, now faces charges of first degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape, aggravated burglary, theft under $500 and forgery, and could face the death penalty.
SkeenÕs arraignment has been scheduled for tomorrow (Friday) in Blount County court. At that time, District Attorney Mike Flynn is expected to announce if he plans to seek the death penalty.
Skeen is accused of stalking Jeffers for several weeks before eventually breaking into her apartment, raping her, kidnapping her and later murdering her.
Authorities allege that Skeen broke into JeffersÕ Maryville apartment on numerous occasions prior to the May 6 abduction. During one or more such break-ins in late April, authorities say Skeen took several items, including womenÕs undergarments, DVDs, CDs and checks.
On May 5, Skeen was captured on surveillance video as he passed one of JeffersÕ stolen checks at the Alcoa Wal-Mart.
On May 6, authorities say, Skeen returned to JeffersÕ apartment sometime in the late evening hours, while Jeffers was sleeping. He reportedly broke into the apartment, where he raped Jeffers before abducting her and driving to Look Rock overlook on the Foothills Parkway in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There, he allegedly threw Jeffers from a cliff, resulting in her death.
On May 9, Skeen was taken into custody as he left work at a home improvement store in the Hunters Crossing Center in Maryville. Three hours later, JeffersÕ body was found.
During a June 5 preliminary hearing, Maryville Police Department Detective Sharon Moore tearfully recounted what she says Skeen told her during an hour-long interview following his arrest.
Moore testified that Skeen said Jeffers was asleep when he broke into her apartment on May 6. When JeffersÕ awoke, said Moore, Skeen Òjabbed a finger into her backÓ to make her believe he had a gun. He then bound her hands and covered her eyes with duct tape.
Moore went on to testify that Skeen told her that he realized after raping Jeffers that Òshe was considered evidenceÓ and that he needed to Òstash the evidence.Ó
Skeen also allegedly told Moore that he drove Jeffers in his car to Look Rock, where he Òpicked her up by the legs and tossed her over the ledge.Ó
Jeffers was scheduled to graduate from the University of Tennessee with her second degree just three days after her death. A 1996 graduate of Scott High School, where she was named co-valedictorian of her graduating class, she was the daughter of the late Walter and Wanda Fay Jeffers of Straight Fork.
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