Nashville man killed his wife on New Year's Day with a hammer and buried her body, police say

A Nashville man was charged with murder and other related crimes over the weekend, after he allegedly killed his wife on New Year's Day and buried her body in a neighboring county, police said.

Authorities on Saturday charged 70-year-old Joseph Glynn in the murder of his wife, 76-year-old Jackie Glynn, who was reported missing one day earlier in a silver alert issued by the Metro Nashville Police Department. The alert, which included two images of the woman, said she was last seen on Jan. 1 at her home in Nashville and had mobility issues. She drove a black 2010 Toyota Rav4 with a Tennessee license plate, police said.

SILVER ALERT: Please help us find Jackie Glynn, 76, who was last seen on January 1 at her Abbott Martin Rd home. She drives a black 2010 Toyota Rav4 SUV with TN plate #224BFCY & has mobility issues. See her? Call 615-862-8600. pic.twitter.com/37wVQqzjW8

— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) January 5, 2024

Her husband was charged the following morning with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse and evidence tampering in connection with Jackie Glynn's death. An investigation showed that Joseph Glynn killed her on Jan. 1, and the next day drove her body to a property in Dekalb County, where he buried it, according to Nashville police. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a Facebook post that Jackie Glynn was found dead in the city of Smithville.

"Our thoughts are with those who knew and loved her," the bureau said.

Dekalb County, which includes Smithville, is over an hour outside of Nashville by car.

Joseph Glynn confessed to hitting his wife in the head with a hammer, killing her, on New Year's Day, CBS affiliate WTVF reported, citing police. She owned the seven-acre property in Dekalb County where her body was found, according to the news station. 

An affidavit for Joseph Glynn's arrest showed that he towed and hid his wife's car after killing her, according to WTVF. He also allegedly disposed of the murder weapon and sold some of her belongings. Joseph Glynn's confession came after Nashville police contacted the sheriff in Dekalb County and prompted a welfare check Friday at the Glynns' property there, where Jackie Glynn's son was already looking for his mother. A neighbor told authorities and the son that they had noticed a hole on the property that was recently filled.

"We went onto the property and found what we thought to be a burial site. We found out that the hole was dug on December 16 by a contractor who had been told by Mr. Glynn that he wanted the hole for a burn pit. The hole was six feet wide, ten feet long, and six feet deep," said Dekalb County Sheriff Patrick Ray in a statement to WTVF. Joseph Glynn told Nashville police on Friday that he had been at the Dekalb County property earlier in the day making a bonfire.

Sheriff's deputies discovered Jackie Glynn's body buried in the hole inside of a plastic vehicle cargo box, which was beneath a large pile of new roofing shingles and covered with dirt, WTVF reported.

In:
• Tennessee
• Nashville
• Murder
• Crime

Emily Mae Czachor

Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing on crime and extreme weather. Emily Mae has previously written for outlets including the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

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