The Coffee County Grand Jury met Tuesday and heard evidence on 125 cases. The panel heard 75 cases that were bound over from the Coffee County General Sessions Court and 50 sealed or first time cases.
The first time cases are those that have not gone through the court system but are taken straight to the grand jury. They are usually presented by law enforcement and often involve drugs or burglary charges.
One of the cases that had been bound over to the grand jury was that of Gregory Scott Hale, 37, of Summitvile. He is accused of murdering and dismembering Lisa Marie Hyder, 37, last June.
The alleged incident occurred on Pete Sain Road. Investigators said Hale lived with his parents, but most of the evidence was collected in the garage or behind the house.
Authorities say that Hale confessed to murdering Hyder. He apparently picked her up in Manchester and took her back to the house, the same day he met her.
According to investigators, Hale admitted that he dismembered her body and even ate part of it.
He has undergone mental evaluation to determine if he is mentally capable to stand trial.
Hale remains in the Coffee County Jail under a $1.5 million bond but is due back in court Thursday (Jan. 15).

Manchester Police Department is participating in the 2nd annual Governor’s Highway Safety Office, “Seatbelts Are For Everyone” (SAFE) campaign. The SAFE campaign is running now until July 31st, 2015. It is designed to increase seatbelt usage in Tennessee. Manchester Police Department will be conducting education awareness during this time toward teens and seniors. MPD will also conduct a Child Passenger Safety event during this period. MPD will increase enforcement during this time and violators not wearing seatbelts and parents who do not use child restraint devices will be cited. MPD will also participate in the “Click It or Ticket” campaign. A pre-survey and post survey will be conducted during the campaign aspiring for increased seatbelt usage in Manchester.

The United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, with NASA’s Orion spacecraft mounted atop, lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37 at 7:05 a.m. EST, Dec. 5, in Florida. AEDC test teams supported Exploration Flight Test-1 by assisting in testing several key components for the aircraft. (Photo by Bill Ingalls, NASA)

NASA achieved a major milestone in completing the Orion spacecraft’s first voyage to space recently.
Having had a hand in testing the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) is also celebrating this accomplishment.
Mounted atop the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket, Orion launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37 at 7:05 a.m. EST on Dec. 5.
AEDC project engineer Nathan Payne, who coordinated the testing for Orion in support of NASA Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), stated he’s pleased the flight went smoothly because even with the amount of testing that went into prepping the spacecraft, these events are unpredictable.
A 5.9 percent scale model of the Orion crew capsule mounted on the Delta IV booster was tested in the 16-foot transonic wind tunnel at AEDC in preparation for the spacecraft’s initial flight.
Though unmanned for this trip, the flight tested many of the vital elements for human spaceflight such as key separation events, parachutes and the heatshield. During re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, Orion endured speeds of 20,000 mph and temperatures near 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Data from the flight test will be used to improve Orion’s design and reduce risks to future mission crews.