High school senior Taylor ShyAnn Ratterree looked forward to graduating and getting her diploma. The 17-year-old worked part time at Kroger and adored her pets. She’d recently broken up with 18-year-old Hunter W. Jackson, but the pair remained in contact. Jackson reportedly picked up Rattarree from work on December 16, 2025, and things took a drastic turn. Police found Ratterree unresponsive near Highway 70 East and Henslee Drive in Dickson, Tennessee. Tragically, she died of a gunshot wound. Now Jackson faces murder charges.
According to a release from the Dickson Police Department, Jackson picked up Ratterree around 8 p.m. from her job at Kroger. Detectives Brandon Kidd and Mike Phillips reported the victim tried to “exit Jackson’s vehicle at a traffic light when she was shot and fell out of the vehicle.”
After responding to reports of a reckless driver, police found Ratterree with gunshot wounds. Doctors at an area hospital later declared her dead. Police found Jackson later at a residence in White Bluff. They arrested him around 1 a.m. and booked him in the Dickson County Jail.
Hayla Skelton told WSMV she spoke to Rattarree not long before she left work on the night she died.
“She has a beautiful personality. She’s very happy all the time. She never seems to have a dull moment,” Skelton said.
News of her friend’s death shocked her. “It’s definitely a wake-up call that you need to always watch who you’re around, be careful. You never know how a person actually is,” Skelton added, per the outlet.
Rattarree’s relatives shared their grief in a GoFundMe post. “Taylor was a bright, creative soul—a senior in high school who loved music, art, and crocheting. She adored her pets Marshall, Sugar, Patch, Luna, Peanut, and Snowflake, and she was eagerly looking forward to graduating and receiving her diploma as she dreamed about her future,” the post reads.
“Taylor worked part-time at Kroger, balancing her responsibilities with grace and determination. She was deeply loved by her parents, siblings, and grandparents, who now face the unimaginable heartbreak of losing their baby girl,” the message on the page continues.
Skelton’s right. Emotions and love make people do things no one expects. At just 18 years old, two lives could be over. Prosecutors charged Jackson with murder, and a judge set his bond at $3 million.
