Deputy Texted Wife About Making His First Arrest Before Crashing into Tennessee River, District Attorney Says

The bodies of Deputy Robert John "R.J." Leonard, Jr., and Tabitha Smith were found one day after the officer’s car entered the Tennessee River

• The bodies of deputy Robert John "R.J." Leonard, Jr., and Tabitha Smith were found in the Tennessee River on Thursday

• Leonard had only been with the force for two months prior to the crash, according to the Tennessee Police Benevolent Association

• District Attorney Russell Johnson said Leonard sent a text message to his wife about making his first arrest shortly before the crash

A deputy and a woman he had recently arrested were found dead in the Tennessee River late last week, according to the local district attorney.

The bodies of deputy Robert John "R.J." Leonard, Jr., of the Meigs County Sheriff's Office, and Tabitha Smith were found Thursday, one day after the officer’s car entered the Tennessee River, according to NBC affiliate WRCB and FOX affiliate WTVC.

Leonard, who had only been with the force for two months, had arrested the woman just minutes prior to the crash, according to a news release from the Tennessee Police Benevolent Association.

Smith was reportedly arrested after Leonard responded to a disturbance call, per CBS affiliate WVLT-TV.

The deputy’s car “was located upside down in the Tennessee River” the following day, the TPBA said. The woman’s body was found in the backseat of the vehicle, and the deputy’s body was later recovered as well.

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“It's a hard time here for us today,” said Meigs County Sheriff's Office Chief Brian Malone at a press conference on Thursday, according to NBC affiliate WBIR-TV. "Something we don't ever deal with here in Meigs County. We're a small, rural county, we're not used to it."

Leonard said he was taking a woman to the Meigs County jail 12 minutes before “an incomplete radio transmission was received” from his radio, during which he may have said the word “water,” according to the TPBA.

“This part of Tennessee is very isolated and rural, making it difficult at times for cellphone reception and the transmission of radio signals,” the TPBA said. 

Leonard also appeared to be texting his wife around the time of the crash. At Thursday’s press conference, shared by WBIR-TV, District Attorney Russell Johnson said the deputy sent a text that said “arrest” upon making his first arrest since joining the sheriff’s office in December.

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The deputy’s wife responded either “That's good” or “That's great,” but Johnson said Leonard’s phone “did not evidently receive that text.”

“A search ensued” after further attempts to contact Leonard failed. Crews were led to the area near the Blythe Ferry boat ramp using “cellphone and tracking data from the app Life 360,” and eventually found the car in the water.

The deputy’s remains were escorted to the Knoxville Regional Medical Examiner’s Office after his body was recovered, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.

Leonard, 35, “did construction for most of his life, until recently moving to Tennessee to pursue his dream of becoming a police officer,” according to his obituary.

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He also loved sports and the outdoors, “but most of all he loved spending time with his family.” He is survived by his wife Christina and their five children.

Public visitation for Leonard will be held Monday evening at the Meigs County High School in Decatur, and a graveside service will be held the following day at the Decatur Cemetery, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.

The woman’s body was also taken to the medical examiner’s office, WRCB reported.

Johnson said the woman’s body was handcuffed and covered in a thick layer of mud and silt upon discovery.

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Sheena Mchome described her friend Smith, who was also 35, as “a happy person” who was “outgoing” and “loved life,” according to CBS affiliate WVLT-TV.

Another friend, Emilie Neusel, said Smith “had a heart of gold, and despite any struggles and troubles she had, she was a great person.”

Officials reported that “several other vehicles have rolled into the water” near the Blythe Ferry boat ramp, according to the TPBA.

“It can be a very dangerous spot for folks that aren't local,” Judge Casey Stokes said at a press conference, according to WBIR-TV.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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