Athens man arrested, charged with murder and church arson – 3B Media News

MCMINN COUNTY – An Athens man has been arrested and charged as part of the ongoing investigation into a murder and fire at a church earlier this month.

On August 15, TBI special agents certified in arson and explosives investigations began investigating the fire at St. Mark AME Zion Church in the 700 block of North Jackson Street in Athens. During the initial investigation, authorities found the body of 69-year-old Linda Buchanan inside the church, and an autopsy later determined that she had died prior to the fire. Further investigative efforts and evidence collected by TBI special agents with assistance from the Athens Police Department led to Kyle Hickox (born 3/28/1988) being responsible for Buchanan's death and the church fire.

On Friday, agents arrested Hickox and charged him with first-degree murder. They then remanded him in the McMinn County Jail on $600,000 bail. Additional charges may be filed as the investigation progresses.

The charges and allegations contained in this press release are merely allegations of criminal conduct and are not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted in a due process of law.