Real Name: Cawood Burglary
Case: Burglary, Assault
Date: May 7, 1994
Location: Jefferson County, Tennessee
Case
Details: In Jefferson County, Tennessee, on the evening of May 7, 1994, the Cawood family was the victim of a home invasion robbery. Dr. David Cawood awoke to find at least three masked men in his bedroom. The men struck Dr. Cawood repeatedly, and he eventually lost consciousness. At 9:45 pm, Dr. Cawood's wife Jeannie and their son Trinity returned home. When they came upstairs, the three men attacked them and tied Jeannie and Trinity up. As the intruders ransacked the house, Jeannie and Trinity prayed, assuming that they were going to die. However, the intruders did not attack them; Jeannie was eventually able to free herself and her son. Jeannie and Trinity went to Dr. Cawood's mother's home and called the police. Fortunately, they all survived, but the intruders had made off with more than $40,000 in cash and other valuables. No solid evidence was ever found by the authorities.
Map showing location of the twelve burglaries
The Cawoods soon discovered that they were not the only ones; at least twelve families in the east Tennessee area had suffered similar home invasions. Four months after attack, the family met with Kenneth and Patsy Jenkins; their attack was almost identical to the Cawood attack. The Jenkins were attacked on a Sunday night about five years before the Cawoods. Just like the assailants in the Cawood case, the Jenkins family's attackers wanted money, gold, and access to a safe. One assailant stayed with the victims while the others ransacked the house.
The Cawoods believe they have now linked twelve different break-ins in Eastern Tennessee over a ten year period to the same gang. The connections were so compelling to the authorities that they convinced the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to look into the cases. The investigators believe that the assailants have knowledge about their victims; they may even be stalking and casing the victims.
David Cawood has since joined the other victims together to form a coalition to solve the invasions and catch the culprits behind them.
Jay Duane Hatton
Authorities believe that a man named Jay Duane Hatton is a key figure in these robberies. Hatton was captured in March of 1994 while robbing a house in Springfield, Tennessee. In 1996, he was sentenced to fifty-seven months in prison. He is currently a suspect in one of the break-ins, but he has refused to cooperate with investigators. A $57,500 reward is being offered in the case.
Extra Notes: This case first aired on the October 18, 1996 episode.
Results: Unresolved. A later robbery that occured came with success. Several robbers were arrested by police, and they believe that some of them may have been responsible for other home invasions. However, police do not have enough evidence to prove that all of the suspects have been captured. Meanwhile, Dr. David Cawood from the initial burglary died in 2006 at the age of 69.
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