­
The overdose death of a Henderson woman in December has lead to a murder
charge for her estranged husband.

Today, Jackson police charged John Christie, 30, of Jackson, with
first-degree murder for killing his wife, Brittany Christie, 26.

On Dec. 6, 2013, around 4:45 p.m., police were called to the Old Hickory
Inn at 1819 U.S. 45 Bypass after Brittany Christie was found dead inside a
room. The woman's death seemed suspicious, and investigators and a county
medical examiner were summoned. The room was processed as a crime scene.

Brittany Christie's body was sent to the state Medical Examiner's Office
in Nashville for an autopsy.

John Christie was developed as a person of interest. After investigators
questioned John Christie on the night of Dec. 6, it was discovered that he
had an outstanding failure to appear warrant, as he had violated the terms
of Jackson City Court's Drug Court Program. Christie was transported to the
Madison County Jail and booked on the warrant.

On Dec. 19, Christie's probation was revoked in City Court, and he was
ordered to serve 11 months and 29 days at the Madison County Jail.

Police continued to investigate Brittany Christie's death. The autopsy
results revealed that she had died from a combination of the drug
clonazepam and heroin.

Investigators learned that John and Brittany Christie had recently begun
seeing each other again. On Dec. 6, John and Brittany were in the room
together at the Old Hickory Inn. While there, John gave Brittany enough
clonazepam to make her helpless, and then he injected her with heroin.
Investigators determined that John Christie's intention was to kill
Brittany Christie to prevent her from revealing their relationship to his
girlfriend.

Investigators served the first-degree murder warrant on
John Christie at the Madison County Jail. He will be arraigned via video
link at 8 a.m. Thursday in Jackson City Court.