Sharon Hurt was an ambitious but never successful singer. However, that did not stop Sharon’s efforts to achieve wealth, which ultimately led her to make one mistake after another.
The Suspicious Car
On the morning of December 20, 1991, residents passing by a road in the city of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, USA, accidentally discovered a suspicious car parked on the side of the road.
Upon getting closer, they found a man slumped over in the passenger seat. When the police arrived and checked, they discovered that the man was dead.
The victim had been shot twice in the head. This ruled out the possibility of suicide. Although not much evidence was found in the car, the victim’s wallet was still intact. Therefore, the police also ruled out robbery as a motive.
From the information on the driver’s license, the police quickly identified the victim. He was Charles “Donald” Hurt, or Don Hurt, aged 52. There were no signs that the body had been moved, so the police believed that Don had been shot dead in the car.
According to the autopsy report, Don was killed between 7:30 pm and 8 pm on December 19, 1991. Moreover, the two gunshots that killed him were fired from different angles. Investigators believed that the killer may have moved or handed the gun to someone else to fire the second shot.
Analysis of the bullet holes showed that both shots were fired from close range. This proved that the victim and the killer knew each other.
The Mysterious Shooting
According to toxicology analysis, Don had a large residue of Benadryl in his body when he was killed. Experts said the victim may have been drugged with this substance, rendering him unable to resist.
Experts also concluded that such an amount of Benadryl could only have entered Don’s body through ingestion and most likely came from someone close to him.
The police quickly looked into Don’s personal life. At the time of his murder, he and his wife Sharon Hurt had been married for three years. Both had previously gone through failed marriages and had children from prior relationships.
Sharon said she last saw her husband around 7 pm the previous day. The woman said her husband seemed to have gone to meet someone on the black market to buy a gun and never returned home. Sharon reported her husband missing on December 20, right after the police received the report about the discovery of the body.
Sharon revealed an important piece of information to investigators. Six months before being murdered, Don had been shot at.
Don’s family members confirmed this information. They said that while driving near the Tennessee River area, Don heard a gunshot and realized he was bleeding.
He immediately received help from people around him and went to the hospital in time. Don said he saw a red Firebird car driving past him before the shooting occurred. However, investigators were unable to find the suspect afterward.
A Marriage with a Purpose
Although lucky to survive, the serious injury Don suffered prevented him from working. This put a financial strain on the family. Don even had to file for bankruptcy right before he was killed.
Further investigation revealed that after marrying Sharon Hurt, Don had a $100,000 life insurance policy. Not long before he was first shot, this policy was amended and increased to $250,000. Don’s son Ricky said his father was unaware of this change.
Moreover, Don’s family members all believe Sharon married Don for the money. Before their marriage, Sharon was trying to become a famous singer in Nashville. Right after divorcing her previous husband, she began publicly dating Don.
Even Sharon’s son Ron Dearinger said his mother didn’t want to return in failure but always strived to become a star. “She found a rich man and married her way” Ron stated.
A Surprising Discovery
Investigators hypothesized that Sharon saw Don as a means to support her music career. Although she released an album, her career was not very successful.
Her relatives also revealed to police that they were certain Sharon had been having an affair for over a year before her husband was murdered. At that time, Sharon met Joe Rowe, who ran a power company in Nashville. Joe eventually hired Sharon as his secretary.
After investigating, police learned Joe gave Sharon money to buy a pink Cadillac as well as other cash. Sometimes Sharon wouldn’t come home for 2-3 days straight, claiming she had to stay late for work. Don and the kids all knew these were lies.
The police investigation subsequently uncovered another surprising piece of information. Joe was actually also going bankrupt, so finances could have been the motive for Don Hurt’s death.
Two Suspicious Cars
The police investigation subsequently uncovered another surprising piece of information. Accordingly, Joe Rowe – the person suspected of being Sharon’s lover – was actually also going bankrupt. So finances could have been the motive in Don Hurt’s death.
However, it was not until they received information provided by a civilian that investigators had enough grounds to believe Sharon Hurt was involved in her husband’s death.
According to the witness, before police arrived at the scene, she passed by and accidentally saw two cars. At that time, the witness felt it was strange, as this area was not a place where people usually stopped and parked. What stood out and made her remember clearly was that among the two front cars, one was a pink Cadillac, similar to the car Joe Rowe had bought for her.
The police immediately went to see Sharon, but she and Joe had already fled together. However, the couple was eventually arrested in September 1993.
At the police station, Joe agreed to cooperate with authorities in exchange for a lower sentence. This man admitted to providing the murder weapon in the Don Hurt killing and revealed those directly responsible for the crime – Marcie Murray and Jimmy Murray, Sharon’s sister and brother-in-law.
The Truth Comes to Light
Joe said that Sharon, her sister, and brother-in-law took the gun from him and planned to kill Don.
Initially, they tried to get Don to drink a beverage laced with Benadryl. Then the three took Don to the car and drove him out. When they returned, Jimmy boasted to Joe that he and Marcie both shot Don so they would share equal responsibility.
Furthermore, Joe revealed that the married couple Marcie and Jimmy were also behind the initial shooting targeting Don.
Police found the red Firebird car registered under Jimmy Murray’s name. Before being murdered, Don had also told police he was shot from a similar vehicle. Additionally, a handgun found at the Murrays’ home was determined to match the type of ammunition used in the initial shooting.
Investigators believe the reason Marcie Murray helped her sister kill her husband was due to their close bond. Whatever Sharon asked Marcie to do, she would try to carry out.
In July 1995, Sharon Hurt, Marcie Murray, and Jimmy Murray were all brought to trial and sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder. Sharon Hurt will be eligible for parole consideration in 2024 at age 71. Meanwhile, Marcie and Jimmy Murray will have to wait until 2026.
Joe Rowe pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. This man died in prison in 2018.
In 1996, Don Hurt’s mother received the life insurance payout from her son’s policy.
