Bond hearing underway for men accused in nurse’s 2020 murder

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The suspects charged in the shooting death of a mid-state nurse in 2020 are expected to appear in court on Monday for a bond motion hearing.

James Cowan and DeVaunte Hill were supposed to appear for a bond hearing in the 2020 murder of Caitlyn Kaufman on March 4, however, their representation opted for them to stay away while trial dates were set.

Following today’s bond hearing, a pre-trial hearing is scheduled for September 16, with the actual trial planned for November 14.

Kaufman, a nurse at Saint Thomas at the time, was driving to work on December 3, 2020, when she was shot and killed on I-440.

Six days after the shooting, police arrested Hill. Investigators took Cowan was taken into custody more than a month after the murder. Metro Police say they recovered two pistols from Cowan’s car after his arrest and discovered that Cowan and Hill know each other.

Through cell phone data analyzed by MNPD electronics experts putting both men in the crime scene area when Kaufman was killed that December evening.

At a previous court date, a witness testified that Hill told him he became angry after getting cut off on I-440 and then started shooting.

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