44-Year-old William Hale reportedly committed suicide Wednesday (5/17/17) afternoon in a Dollar General parking lot in Murfreesboro on Thompson Lane. Hale was recently indicted on charges of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor of over 100 images and Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor of over 50 images.

Reports indicate that Hale allegedly killed himself inside his SUV after being involved in a minor accident in front of the Dollar General Store on Thompson Lane near Rivermont Apartments. Hale shot himself after rear-ending another driver in the parking lot. The other driver told police he went to check on the subject who hit his car and while calling the police he heard a single gunshot.

Hale killed himself one day after being released from the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center.

The death marks the second in the past 13 days in Murfreesboro where a subject who was about to stand trial for sex related crimes committed suicide.

On May 5, 2017, 70-year old Gary Welsh shot himself a day after he appeared in court to answer to two counts of aggravated sexual battery and three counts of sexual battery. Welsh reportedly shot himself in Old Fort Park.

More suicide:

In addition to Hale's suicide on Wednesday (5/18/17), two more suicides were reported on the very same day in the city limits of Murfreesboro. The other two cases were also committed by males and those men reportedly shot themselves - one with a handgun and the other a shotgun.

Source:

MPD Incident 17-10329