No Jail Time For Porsche Owner Who Shot Unarmed Homeless Man In Downtown Nashville

Image Credit: MNPS & Corey Seeman / CC

The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –

A former aspiring singer escapes jail time after being convicted of shooting a homeless man in Nashville after he asked her to move her Porsche SUV.

Katie Layne Quackenbush, now 32, was instead given a sentence of 11 months and 29 days probation for the 2017 shooting of Gerald Melton.

According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, Melton, now 59, woke up in the early morning hours to loud music and exhaust fumes from Quackenbush’s Porsche SUV. He asked her to move and the two got into a dispute.

Melton told police that Quackenbush had asked him if he “wanted to die tonight.”

Melton testified that he was walking away from the scene when Quackenbush fired two shots at him. Quackenbush’s father, who is an attorney in Texas, later stated that his daughter was attempting to fire a warning shot and did not realize she was actually going to hit Melton.

After Melton was shot, Quackenbush got back in her SUV and went to Taco Bell with a passenger. Neither of them reported the shooting to police.

Law enforcement was finally called after someone found Melton. He ended up having a total of three surgeries because of his injuries.

Quackenbush was eventually arrested for attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. 

Her defense attorney argued that she was afraid of Melton and was simply trying to frighten him away. 

Quackenbush ended up being convicted of reckless endangerment, which is a misdemeanor. Her sentence of probation was handed down last Thursday. The judge did deny a request for a judicial diversion. She was already free on a $25,000 bond.

Assistant District Attorney Amy Hunter reminded the court during the sentencing hearing that Quackenbush used a weapon against Melton during what was only a verbal altercation.

“She used that weapon to shoot an unarmed man who had only used words against her,” Hunter said. 

While Quackenbush did apologize for her actions and express regret, she also claimed she had already been punished. She said that she had difficulty finding work or being accepted into college. She also said she was publicly mocked, spit on, and sent death threats.

“For five years, I have been having to live with this…social punishment. Even after all of this is over, Google is always going to be there. This will follow me for the rest of my life,” she said.

Now the mother of four small children, Quackenbush says the experience has “inspired me to do better.”

She will serve her probation in Amarillo, Texas, where she now lives. She will report virtually to MNPD and her criminal record will be regularly monitored for violations.

About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative  ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career.  Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others.  He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History.  Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com