Chris Ferrell Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for the Death of Wayne Mills
Chris Michael Ferrell has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in the 2nd Degree Murder of country music artist Wayne Mills. The decision was handed down by Judge Steve Dozier in the Davidson County Criminal Court Friday morning (4-24). Ferrell was found guilty in the shooting death of Mills on March 6th in a jury trial. He claimed self-defense in the case. Ferrell will have no chance for parole.
The sentencing was initially scheduled for April 10th, and most of the sentencing proceeded as normal until the defense decided it wanted to call one final witness. Susan Branham was a subpoenaed witness in the murder trial, but was never called to the stand. She called Chris Ferrell on the phone right after the shooting, and left right before Chris Ferrell shot Wayne Mills. After the prosecution concluded its portion of the sentencing, which included Wayne’s widow and others addressing the court, the defense decided it was necessary to call Susan Branham, but she was currently at Disney World.
On Friday, Susan Branham took the stand and testified that the altercation began when Wayne Mills lit up a cigarette in Chris Ferrell’s bar, and that Wayne threatened Chris Ferrell after Ferrell forcibly removed the cigarette from Wayne’s mouth. Then Branham testified about the phone call she made right after the shooting to Ferrell. Branham and two other witnesses left the bar right before the shooting occurred. “He was hysterical, like crying, screaming. I just was trying to calm him down to ask him questions,” Branham said.
Then attorneys for the prosecution and the defense addressed the court and gave their recommendations on how long the sentence should be. The State asked for 25 years—the maximum penalty for 2nd Degree Murder. Defense attorney David Raybin argued for a 15 year sentence, which would allow Ferrell to be released by 61 instead of 71.
After some deliberation, Judge Dozier then addressed the court, saying that he gave “no weight” to Chris Ferrell’s claim of self-defense since he was 15 to 20 feet from Wayne Mills when the shooting occurred. “And we all know about where the gunshot struck him,” said Dozier, making reference to the shot being to the back of the head after Mills had turned to leave. He then rendered his sentence of 20 years.
Under Tennessee law, Chris Ferrell will have to serve the full sentence. He will be 66-years-old when he is released. Ferrell showed no visible emotion as the sentence was read. After the proceeding, Wayne’s widow Carol Mills said she was pleased with the decision.
At the conclusion of the trial in March, defense attorney David Raybin made it clear they plan to appeal the case. “We will appeal this case through the court,” Raybin said. “We feel there is significant appellate issues in this case regarding self-defense, which is the center of our case. It’s easy for a lawyer to say we are going to appeal. I’ve been an attorney for 40 years and I’ve appealed many homicide cases. We feel very comfortable that this man will get a new trial, and a new day in court. He testified in his own defense that this was self-defense, and I stand by that decision.”
Mr. Raybin said once the sentencing was handed down, “that will commence the appellate process.”
Chris Ferrell shot and killed Wayne Mills on November 23rd, 2013, just before 5 AM after an altercation began when Mills lit a cigarette in the Pit & Barrel bar Chris Ferrell owned. The two men were in the bar during an after hours party when Chris Ferrell forcibly extinguished the cigarette Wayne Mills was smoking. This caused Wayne to act verbally hostile towards Ferrell, and Wayne threatened the bar owner. Then as Mills turned to leave, Ferrell pulled out a .22 pistol and shot three times, with the third bullet striking Mills in the back of the head. Wayne later died of his wound at the Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville.
The death of Wayne Mills rose to national attention fromthe songwriter’s friendship with many famous country stars, including Jamey Johnson, Blake Shelton, and recent The Voice winner Craig Wayne Boyd.
April 24, 2015 @ 8:58 am
Only 20 years is just inxcusable. take an eye for an eye, turn your heart into stone.
April 24, 2015 @ 12:06 pm
20 years? Pathetic.
“It’s time the long arm of the law put a few more in the ground
Send ’em all to their maker and he’ll settle ’em down
You can bet he’ll set ’em down.”
Toby Keith – Beer For My Horses
April 24, 2015 @ 12:10 pm
Thanks for all the coverage on this. On small correction though. Even though Tennessee does not have parole, they still credit time off for good behavior. From my minimal research it looks like you can get 8 days off a month for good behavior and another 8 days off for taking vocational classes etc., though the Truth in Sentencing Law for murder they must serve at least 85% of the sentence, so he can be out in 17 years.
https://www.slcatlanta.org/Publications/HSPS/GoodTime.pdf
http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/story/18506232/the-face-of-good-behavior
April 24, 2015 @ 12:37 pm
Hey Mike,
I’m not a lawyer and don’t know the in’s and out’s of Tennessee law myself, but from what I understand Chris Ferrell’s sentence IS mandatory, and he WILL have to serve the full time, and will not be able to get any time off for good behavior. I’m not sure if the law has changed since that story in Memphis was published in 2012, or if it is up to the judge’s discretion in each case, but the professionals who know about this stuff more than I do are all insisting this is a mandatory sentence.
Stacey Barchenger, who is The Tennessean’s court reporter also said in her story just posted, “Ferrell, 46, will not be eligible for any reduction of the 20-year term.”
http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2015/04/24/man-gets-years-musicians-murder/26307571/
So unless something isn’t adding up, it will be 20 years and not a day less. About the only wiggle room might be for time served, or if there is an appeal and Ferrell either wins, or receives a lesser conviction or sentence. And the defense continues to claim they will be appealing, so I expect we will be hearing about this in the months to come.
April 24, 2015 @ 1:03 pm
I stand corrected.
http://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2010/title-39/chapter-13/part-2/39-13-204/
(i) (1) There shall be no release eligibility for a person committing an offense, on or after July 1, 1995, that is enumerated in subdivision (i)(2). The person shall serve one hundred percent (100%) of the sentence imposed by the court less sentence credits earned and retained. However, no sentence reduction credits authorized by § 41-21-236, or any other provision of law, shall operate to reduce the sentence imposed by the court by more than fifteen percent (15%).
(2) The offenses to which subdivision (i)(1) applies are:
(A) Murder in the first degree;
(B) Murder in the second degree;
April 24, 2015 @ 1:08 pm
Trigger-
I really want to take a second and tell you how much I, and I’m sure many others, really appreciate you staying so on top of this story. Justice was served today.
Roll Tide!
April 24, 2015 @ 1:18 pm
Thanks Jason.
April 24, 2015 @ 3:38 pm
My sentiments exactly! Thanks Trigger.
April 24, 2015 @ 2:41 pm
The moral of the tragedy is don’t be a bully and control your temper.
April 24, 2015 @ 3:55 pm
I have absolutely no appreciation for your line of reason as it is demonstrated here.
“The moral of the tragedy is don”™t be a bully and control your temper.”
This statement trivialized what happened. What is this to you, a case of bad judgment? It is not like these two guys got into an argument and Duke it out outside. When it comes to killing someone, most people do not need to be taught a lesson in morality. The average person stop dead in their tracks when it comes to murder. It is a treshold we do not cross. I take that back. It is rather, a treshold we cannot cross. Those who cross it so easily as Christopher has done, has no morals and therefore could not be taught a lesson. It is my opinion that he has murdered before and I believe he will do so again.
April 25, 2015 @ 8:06 am
sonas, No, it simplifies what happened. You misunderstood my comment. My understanding is that physically, Mr. Mills was a big man. Ferrell owned the bar and asked him to stop smoking. Mills refused. I’m sure bully tactics were employed during the altercation. Mr. Ferrell then lost his temper and killed a human being. I don’t condone his actions. The entire tragedy could have been avoided but egos prevented it. Peace.
April 24, 2015 @ 3:35 pm
Thank you Trigger for your excellent coverage of the trial. May the Lord be with the Mills family and most of all thank the lord justice has been served.R.I.P. Wayne.
April 24, 2015 @ 7:05 pm
If Wayne Mills was walking away then how can it be self defense! It’s a reason NOT to pull out the gun! Sounds fishy to me!
April 25, 2015 @ 3:55 pm
this is the first i have herd about this case, but i wonder how you might act it you were face to face outside when a gun was pulled out, not knowing how long between shots, if it was possible for a person to turn and run a few steps before the third shot hit him, im just saying if someone was pulling a gun on me i would turn and run, so maybe it was self defence. i dont know the whole case but what ive read this seems possible.
April 25, 2015 @ 6:28 pm
The three shots were fired in rapid succession. Boom boom boom. Chris Ferrell testified as much. He also thought it was self-defense. But from how he described the shots, there wouldn’t have been time for Wayne to make any significant movements in between, though he was said to be in the act of turning by Ferrell when the shots were fired, but the fatal shot caught him in the back of the head, and that was considered the most critical point by the judge and jury.
April 27, 2015 @ 9:28 pm
Where does this silliness about self-defense come from?
Because the defendant’s lawyer said so?–That’s the guy’s job. When your client kills someone and there’s no denying that he did it, then you say it was self-defense.
From what I’ve read–and I’m relying on Trigger’s reporting here–Wayne Mills never struck Ferrell, never attempted to strike Ferrell, was not carrying a weapon and was walking away from Ferrell when he was shot. The claim of self defense is absurd and anyway, the jury rejected it.
Unless the judge made some significant error in the trial that we’re not aware of, the appeal will go nowhere and Ferrell will rot in prison, where he belongs.
April 27, 2015 @ 6:53 pm
Thanks to Saving Country Music for your complet coverage of this trial and many thanks to Wayne Mills for saving country music.
April 29, 2015 @ 11:47 pm
One thing I know about this is from sitting in the courtroom during the trial not a lot was mentioned about the state of mind Mr. Mills was in before the cigarette was even lit. From the testimony given and a witness collaborating it. It seems to me as if Mr. Mills was angry and had been ranting inappropriately speaking of women in a not so kind word and referencing to nonprescription drugs. Then he lit the cigarette and the the argument began. The testimony by 3 people stated that they saw and heard Mr. Mills threaten to kill Mr. Ferrell. I’ve never been in a situation such as this and not taking sides as I didn’t really know either of them. It’s a tragedy for everyone involved. But I do feel like everyone is entitled to a fair trial and for both sides to be reported on correctly. I don’t think anyone could get a fair trial when you have such big country artists speaking publicly and allowed in the courtroom for jurors to see. I know in Nashville it’s sometimes common to see artists out and about but I think it’s a bit intemidating for anyone on a jury to look and see them sitting a few feet away. I pray for both sides on this case because everyone has lost.
May 6, 2015 @ 2:39 pm
Joe, you’re an idiot.
October 4, 2018 @ 7:48 pm
Amen, Joe, thanks for your thoughtful and insightful comment. Chris should at least have had a change of venue.
July 10, 2018 @ 4:50 pm
Thanks for the extra trial info Joe. I dated Chris back around 2000. The Chris i know was very kind. I had been thinking that something had to happen that scared the bejeesus out of him. People were quick to comment on who they THINK Chris is, but they are only judging him off 1 severely life-changing/ending incident. He is NOT the cold-blooded killer type. I was living out of state when the incident occurred, so the only info was mainstream news. The real details weren’t included in those articles. Of course, no one wants the details…just who killed my fav singer. I’m not saying his actions were correct, but that there was reason & media stories are as biased as people are. Chris didn’t just feel like shooting someone. As reasonable people We have to be aware of who we raise a gun against, as well as, who we threaten.
September 1, 2018 @ 8:17 pm
This Chris you know doesn’t exist anymore and hasn’t since 2003.. been friends with him for over 22 years.. don’t be snowed by his bullshit.
September 2, 2018 @ 10:42 am
Would you mind catching me up on what events could change a person so dramatically? I’m afraid life moved on & i got out of touch. Cdpowell1974 at gmail. I have a story that illustrates why i could hold such a position, but i don’t want to tell it to you here. I’ll just say that helped me during a rough time in my life & i certainly didn’t make easy. He showed me a high level of character. However, I’m always open-minded to facts. Thanks.
March 7, 2023 @ 12:44 pm
Yep & Nikki…I dated him and it wasn’t all good. I.left him.in ’95. He was selling pot on the side, refused to work, was stealing checks from.my check books, was sleeping with other girls I worked with, stole a hot rod from me, conned others out of money
Git his ass kicked my a friend when he physically picked me up and threw me 10ft and I landed on the sidewalk. Then he got arrested. He was nucevwhen he wanted something from you