04/30/2026
On April 24, 1996, an ordinary shift at Jackson Fire Department headquarters turned into one of the deadliest days in the department's history. Firefighter Kenneth Tornes walked the halls of the station he knew well, moving from office to office with deadly intent — targeting the men who wore the same uniform he did, the supervisors who had dedicated their lives to protecting others. When it was over, four members of the command staff were dead: Captain Merideth Moree, District Chief Dwight Craft, Captain Stan Adams, and District Chief Rick Robbins.
For retired Jackson Police Department Crime Scene Investigator Charlie Smith, this wasn't just another case. These were men he knew — colleagues he had worked alongside for years, responding to the same scenes, in the same city, all of them bound by the same mission to serve and protect. Processing a crime scene is already one of the most demanding things a first responder can be asked to do. Doing it where your friends fell is something else entirely.
On this episode of Investigation: Homicide, hosts Therese Apel and Amanda Johansson sit down with Charlie Smith to revisit a case that shook Jackson's first responder community to its core. Nearly three decades later, the weight of that day hasn't faded — and neither has Charlie's commitment to making sure the men who died that morning are not forgotten.
This episode is produced by Daniel Anderson at Audio Alchemy Productions.
