FROM: Jody Pickens, District Attorney General, 26th Judicial District
On October 21, 2024, in Henderson County Circuit Court before the Honorable Judge Donald Allen, Gabriel Seth Box was sentenced to Life in Prison plus (six) 6 years.
Box was previously convicted of First-Degree Murder, Theft of a Firearm, and two (2) counts of Tampering with Evidence. At the sentencing hearing, the Court received emotional testimony from Ricky and April Inman, the parents of the victim Felicity Inman, who was only twenty (20) years of age and the mother to a then 1 ½ month old baby girl at the time of her murder.
The parents testified that Felicity had found her purpose in life when she became a mother and that everything she did, from planning to obtain a social work degree and getting back to work as soon as possible, revolved around her duty as a mother to provide for her baby. Further, the parents gave testimony about the void in their lives since the loss of their only daughter, explaining to the Court that their lives will never be the same.”
“In the midst of murder trials the fact sometimes gets lost that a human being with hopes, dreams, and family that loved them had their life ended in a selfish, violent manner,” stated District Attorney General Jody Pickens. “Yesterday through the words of her parents, the world was introduced to Felicity, a person who at times throughout the trial was known only as the ‘victim’. Felicity loved her family and her family loved her. Thankfully, through the hard work of law enforcement and a Henderson County jury, the man who took her life in such a cowardly fashion will most likely never breathe air as a free man again.
“Ironically, the sentencing for this domestic violence murder took place during October, which is Domestic Violence Awareness month and on the day of the grand opening of the Henderson County Family Justice Center, which will be a resource for people who find themselves dealing with domestic violence. This case stands as an example of why such places are needed.”
PRIOR RELEASE
On August 30, 2024, after four days of trial and less than an hour of deliberation, a Henderson County, Tennessee, jury convicted Gabriel Seth Box of the November 19, 2021 Premeditated First Degree Murder of Felicity Nicole Inman, two (2) counts of Tampering with Evidence, and Theft of a Firearm.
The proof presented at trial indicated that Box stole a 9 mm handgun from his stepfather and then used that same gun to shoot the victim in the back of the head while she was seated in her parked car at Dogwood Lake in Henderson County, Tennessee. The parties’ infant daughter was in the car at the time Box shot Ms. Inman. The evidence established that, the defendant shoved the victim’s lifeless body under the dash on the passenger side of the vehicle, covered her in blankets, disposed of the still-missing handgun, created a false alibi, and for two (2) hours drove around remote areas of Henderson and Decatur counties with a shot-out window in 41-degree weather with an infant in the backseat before arriving at his home where his father called 911. Moreover, there was no evidence that the defendant ever attempted to render aid to the victim or contact 911 for assistance.
The defendant claimed that the victim shot herself. Expert medical proof from a forensic pathologist established that the location of the wound in the back of the victim’s head was atypical for a suicide and that due to the lack of powder burns and soot at the entry wound, the victim was shot from a distance of at least two (2) feet, which, given the length of her arms, was almost impossible.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled set for October 21, 2024, before Judge Donald Allen. The conviction for Premeditated First Degree Murder carries an automatic sentence of Life in Prison.
“Law enforcement officers from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the sheriff’s departments from both Decatur and Henderson counties, as well as the Tennessee Highway Patrol did an outstanding job investigating this case,” said District Attorney General Jody Pickens. “While many contributed to putting together a case that led to a successful prosecution, the work of Agents Brent Booth and Joe Hudgins of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Lieutenant Adam Potts of the Tennessee Highway Patrol was particularly noteworthy. Without their careful investigative work, a positive outcome would not have been possible. It is my hope that the family of Felicity Inman can find some peace moving forward.”
The prosecution was led by District Attorney General Jody Pickens with assistance from Deputy District Attorney General Shaun Brown and Assistant District Attorney General Matthew Floyd.
