Charges to be amended to murder after shooting victim dies at hospital

A Corbin man, who initially survived after being shot in the head with a .357 pistol early Sunday morning, has died.

Timothy Seth Pennington died Thursday at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, according to the Corbin Police Department.

Corbin Police Lt. Coy Wilson, who is the investigating officer, said that the attempted murder charge against the couple allegedly responsible for Pennington’s shooting would be upgraded to murder.

Melissa M. Summers, 43, of Corbin, and Adam R. Alloway, 37, of London, were arrested early Monday morning in connection with Pennington’s shooting, and lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.

Police were called to the scene at approximately 2 a.m. on Sunday.

According to Wilson, Pennington had been out in downtown Corbin with Summers, Alloway and his brother, Andrew, leaving when the bars closed.

Summers reportedly told police that while in the car Seth Pennington took the seatbelt and choked Alloway for no reason.

Alloway pulled out a pocket knife, cutting the seatbelt, but also cutting Summers and Seth Pennington.

However, according to Summers, the fight ended and Alloway drove to Seth Pennington’s apartment on Adkins Street and dropped him off.

Summers told police that she went inside the apartment with Seth.

“At this time Seth got mad and came outside with a gun and fired a shot as they were leaving the residence,” Summers reportedly told police.

According to Wilson, Summers said that upon leaving, the trio drove to Andrew Pennington’s house, and then to Alloway’s apartment in London, but never went back to Seth’s apartment.

“Officers recovered surveillance video from Owens Auto showing Adam and Melissa’s car leaving a second time from the direction of Seth’s apt. at a high rate of speed around the time the 911 call came in reporting that Seth Pennington had been shot,” Wilson wrote in the criminal complaint filed against Summers and Alloway.

Wilson said an argument had ensued, and, at some point in the argument, Seth Pennington was shot.

“We have evidence that they were arguing over a cell phone,” Wilson said.

Wilson said police did not find any evidence at the scene that Seth Pennington fired a weapon as Summers described.

“We didn’t recover a weapon from Pennington’s house, or a bullet from the scene that he had reportedly fired,” Wilson said.

Arrests warrants for Summers and Alloway were secured and the couple was arrested at 1:20 a.m. on Monday at the Corbin Police Department on charges of attempted murder.

They have been lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.

Wilson said he has spoken with Whitley County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ronnie Bowling, Jr., and the charges will be amended to murder before the case goes before the grand jury.