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Cocke County sheriff: Woman charged with murder after admitting to deadly shooting

The sheriff said the suspect admitted to shooting the victim. She is being charged with first degree murder and is being held at the Cocke County Jail.

COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — The Cocke County Sheriff's Office said a woman is behind bars for murder after discovering a woman dead inside a Cosby home Thursday morning.

According to Cocke County Sheriff Armando Fontes, deputies were dispatched to 440 Padgetmill Road after people reported hearing gunshots coming from within the home.

Deputies took cover when they arrived, saying they could see a woman, identified as 45-year-old Martha Styles, holding a handgun through a window. They said she was waving the gun around and beating on the window as deputies ordered her to drop the weapon.

One deputy said they were able to see what appeared to be a deceased woman, identified as 58-year-old Adena Parton, in a recliner inside the home. Eventually, officers said Styles smashed out a window at the back of the home before she dropped the weapon and climbed through the window to surrender to them.

Deputies said they had to force their way through the front door to get to the victim. Styles was taken to the emergency room to be treated for cuts on her arms due to climbing through broken glass. 

Fontes said Styles admitted to shooting Parton. She is being charged with first degree murder and is being held at the Cocke County Jail on a $200,000 bond. 

Fontes said the motive remains unclear, but deputies suspect drug use may have been involved.

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