On May 3, 2023, a combined effort between undercover detectives, an MNPD helicopter, and local law enforcement led to the arrest of Jeffery L. Thorpe, 24. Thorpe was indicted by a grand jury on several criminal charges.
He has been charged with both reckless homicide and felony child neglect related to the fatal shooting of his two-year-old son, Anthony Thorpe, who passed away on November 6, 2021.
The Youth Services Detective John Grubbs-led investigation revealed that on the night of November 1, 2021, Jeffery Thorpe returned home and placed a pistol on a bed where his son and the child’s mother were seated. Thorpe then went to take a shower, during which time the toddler began handling the firearm and accidentally shot himself in the head. The parents rushed Anthony to a nearby hospital, but while the mother stayed by her son’s side, Jeffery Thorpe fled the scene.
On May 3, 2023, the East Precinct’s Community Field Intelligence Team received a tip indicating that Thorpe was in the East Nashville area. Subsequently, he was seen as a passenger in a vehicle that refused to stop for the police. The department’s helicopter monitored the car until Thorpe exited, at which point he was arrested near Jones Circle following a brief foot pursuit.
In addition to the charges relating to his son’s tragic death, Thorpe faces further legal trouble, including allegations of aggravated assault against his girlfriend (the child’s mother). He also faces charges of theft, resisting arrest, and trespassing. Thorpe is currently being held in the Downtown Detention Center.