The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the 228-month federal prison sentence for Jason Autry, a 50-year-old man with a long criminal record, following his conviction on firearm offenses in the Western District of Tennessee. The announcement was made by Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee.
Autry had previously been released from prison on September 16, 2020, after serving time for being a felon in possession of a firearm and an eight-year state sentence related to his involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Holly Bobo, a nursing student from Decatur County whose body was found more than three years after her disappearance in April 2011.
Less than a month after his release, Autry was again found with a stolen gun. Within less than three months, he possessed additional firearms and ammunition. In November 2022, Autry pleaded guilty to three counts of being a felon in possession of guns and ammunition.
During the sentencing hearing in 2024, U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson agreed with prosecutors that Autry’s criminal history warranted an upward departure from standard sentencing guidelines. Judge Anderson sentenced him to 228 months in federal prison.
The appellate court emphasized factors supporting the sentence: “Autry had a serious criminal past that included aggravated assault, drug trafficking, burglary, active membership in the violent Aryan Nation gang, and admitted participation in Bobo’s abduction and murder. Furthermore, Autry had a reputation for violence in his community, was violent towards his romantic partners and family members, committed a racially-motivated assault, and was involved in violent altercations and drug trafficking while serving prison sentences and during pre-trial detention.”
The investigation involved both the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as well as the Benton County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Beth Boswell and Josh Morrow prosecuted the case; AUSA Naya Bedini assisted at sentencing and managed the appeal.
For further information about this case or updates from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee follow their office news on Facebook or X at @WDTNNews.
