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'I was there when he took his last breath.' Widow wants justice in Giles County murder

Deputies now have a person of interest
Jim and Dawn Grimes
Posted at 4:34 PM, Jul 20, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-21 09:50:53-04

LYNVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Jim Grimes’ widow, Dawn, still has questions after her husband was shot on their farm three months ago.

"What kind of person would take another person’s life just in cold blood," Grimes asked.

On April 19 around 9:30 p.m. Jim came home from a board meeting for The Well food pantry and went to feed their animals. Dawn heard a loud noise and walked to the barn where she found her husband had been shot.

"To have someone taken in this manner and then have to be there, it’s the worst thing that ever happened to me and it’s a blessing because I was there,” Grimes said. “I was there when he took his last breath, and I held his hand, and I got to tell him how much I love him."

Saturday would have been their 15th wedding anniversary. “He was larger than life, he was the most generous, and giving, and loving, and considerate," Grimes said.

She doesn't know why anyone would want to hurt him. "He’d give the shirt off his back, and he loved with his whole heart," she said.

Without answers, Grimes posted signs in the Buford Station Road area near Lynville. There's a $100,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is assisting the Giles County Sheriff’s Department with the investigation. Now, there’s a person of interest.

"Eventually they will get caught, and they will be brought to justice. I believe that in my heart, and I made a vow to my husband that I will find who did this, and I’m going to keep that vow," Grimes said.

The family runs Autobody Advantage in Spring Hill and Thompson's Station. Jim was 63 years old. He volunteered with multiple non-profits, the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce, and other community organizations.