Cannon woman stabbed

By MIKE WEST
Courier Editor

A Cannon County woman was cut and stabbed repeatedly March 11 during a fight with a Smithville woman following an ongoing argument over her boyfriend.

Injured was Ashley Womac of Payton Lane. She suffered multiple lacerations of her head, face, arms and a stab wound to her left side, which possibly punctured her lung. Due to the severity of her injuries, Womac was transported to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga.

Charged in the incident was Kayla Nicole Adams of Smithville. Adams faces aggravated assault with bodily injury charges for allegedly stabbing and slashing Womac during a fight that happened near the Cannon/DeKalb County line.

Sgt. Tracy Womack of the Cannon County Sheriff's Office initially arrived at Payton Lane responding to a call relayed by DeKalb County authorities.
Sgt. Womack spoke to a witness who "stated two males and two females had been walking down Payton Lane in a leisurely stroll and all of a sudden the females started fighting and cutting each other."

Cannon County Investigator Brandon Gullett was subsequently notified that two victims were being transported to DeKalb County Hospital both with stab wounds. However, due to X-ray machine problems, they were rerouted to River Park Hospital in Warren County.

"I then diverted to make contact with the victims at River Park Hospital in Warren County. While enroute, I was contacted by Cannon County Dispatch and asked to contact a deputy (Deputy Cole Stewart) with the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department," Gullett said.

Stewart advised Gullett he had been dispatched to Short Mountain Road in DeKalb County in reference to the same stabbing. Stewart made contact with stabbing victim Ashley Womac "who had stab wounds to her body was was being treated by Cannon County EMS."

Stewart told Gullett "he was advised by Ashley that she had gotten into an altercation with Kayla Adams in the area of 225 Payton Lane and that Kayla Adams had produced a knife during the fight cutting and stabbing Ashley."

"Deputy Stewart also stated that Jeremy Shelton was also cut during the altercation by Kayla (while) attempting to break up the fight," Gullett said.

Once arriving at River Park Hospital, Gullett was able to speak briefly with Womac, who told him the dispute first began several days earlier

"Ashley stated to me that this situation had been going on for several days with Kayla Adams talking smack about her and her boyfriend," Gullett said.

"Ashley stated that she had finally gotten tired and told Kayla to just come to her house so they could fight," the investigator continued.

Kayla and her boyfriend, Trey Hamilton, began to walk down Payton Lane all while making statements about Womac.

"Ashley stated that she and Kayla started to fight and she thought that Kayla was just hitting her until she just noticed that blood was going everywhere and that was when she realized she had been cut," Gullett said.

While this altercation was continuing, the two males, Trey Hamilton and Jeremy Shelton, began to fight. Shelton was also cut when he apparently attempt to restrain Kayla.

Gullett also obtained a statement from Kayla Adams, who was being treated in the DeKalb County Hospital for wounds to her left wrist and forehead. Adams admitted she had brought a knife to the fight.

"Kayla stated that she had the knife when she started fighting with Ashley and also stated that she did cut Ashley but don;t know where on the body she cut her, stating it was a blur," Gullett said.