Court testimony: Possible ‘road rage’ incident happened before murder of Nashville nurse
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NASHVILLE (WSMV) — Courtroom testimony on Thursday sheds light on what could have been the motive in the murder of a Nashville nurse last year.
Caitlyn Kaufman, a nurse at St. Thomas, was on her way to work the night of Dec. 3 when she was shot and killed on I-440. Devaunte Hill and James Cowan were charged with her murder and faced a judge in Metro Criminal Court on Thursday.
Court testimony on Thursday afternoon confirmed a possible motive of the murder of Kaufman might have been when she cut off the suspects on I-440. The testimony said Hill got mad and started shooting.
The witness, who is not being identified, said the conversation came up after the two traded guns. Police said Hill admitted the gun he gave the witness was the one used to shoot and kill Kaufman.
Once the witness saw the news, he told police that he was compelled to step forward, even though he has known Hill since they were teenagers.
The witness reached out to Kaufman’s mother on Facebook but got no response. A few days later, he went to St. Thomas to tell them the information he knew at that time. St. Thomas then called the police, who questioned Hill.
Police were able to retrieve the gun from the witness and through forensics and ballistics were able to make a perfect match to the murder weapon.
Hill first told police he was out of town in Atlanta. Then later told them he was on I-440 but was not the one who shot Kaufman.
Police said Hill claimed not to know the other suspect, Cowan. But police were able to match cell phone data of Kaufman, Hill and Cowan all along I-440 at the same time.
Authorities said this cellphone data information is crucial in putting the pieces together.
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