District Attorney Opposes Release of Stringbean’s Killer

Davidson County’s district attorney is fighting parole for a man convicted in the murder of country star Dave ‘Stringbean’ Akeman and his wife Estelle.

Stringbean was best known for playing banjo on the television show ‘Heehaw.’

John Brown and his cousin went to Stringbean’s rural home expecting to find large amounts of cash, which weren’t there.

Brown was sentenced to 198 years in prison for the 1973 robbery and murders.

Since then Brown has led the prison chapter of alcoholic’s anonymous and earned an associate’s degree from the University of Tennessee.

The parole board has received numerous letters of support for his release.

But district attorney Torry Johnson says that doesn’t mean Brown should be let go.

“In certain instances, there are certain types of crimes, that you just simply can’t pay the debt, you can’t atone for. … It was so deliberate, so intentional, so premeditated, that anybody that thinks like that doesn’t need to be out – ever.”

Johnson says at the time of the trial Tennessee had no death penalty or life sentence without parole. So the judge who placed two 99-year sentences on Brown never intended him to be free.

Two of the state’s seven parole board members have already approved Brown’s release. It requires four. A decision from the rest is expected in the next few weeks.