COLUMBIA, Tenn. (WKRN) — A man accused of killing two of his neighbors, seemingly at random, spoke with News 2 from the Maury County Jail.

The shooting deaths of 46-year-old John Bidle and 51-year-old Stacie Wright rocked a quiet Columbia neighborhood last week. Byron Childers was taken into custody in connection with the case and he told News 2 that he wants to share his side of the story.

"I'm horribly sorry," Childers said. "That was not me. That was something else. It was not me."

On Saturday, May 31, a typically quiet Columbia community was chaos. Police said Childers was walking along Somerset Lane with a rifle when he shot Bidle. Then, upon hearing the gunshots, police said Wright opened the door of her nearby home and was shot several times.

When asked about motive, Childers said that he did not want to talk about it.

"I'm not — I don't want to talk about this now," Childers told News 2. "I need to relax."

Childers repeated his apology.

"Just — I am sorry," Childers says. "There is nothing else I can say. What can you say?"

News 2 asked about Childers' day before the shooting occurred.

"Hung around the house, organized the garage — relaxed," Childers said.

Childers said he barely remembers the shooting, adding that he was friendly with Bidle.

"He would come down and I would give him fishing tackles, stuff like that," Childers says. "[I would] leave tackle on his doorstep. We were fishing buddies. [We] talked about fishing."

Childers said he knows he's changed the lives of three families forever, including his own. After about five minutes, he asked to return to his cell.

He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder in connection with the case. Childers is being held without bond.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/columbia-double-homicide-jailhouse-interview/