KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The man accused in the December death of a Rural King employee could face a felony murder charge.
18-year-old Larry McBee, Jr. appeared in Knox County General Sessions Court for a preliminary hearing on Monday.
During the hearing, the state asked to upgrade McBee's second-degree murder charge to first-degree felony murder because the case related to shoplifting. The case will now head to a grand jury to determine if McBee will be indicted for felony murder.
KCSO said the Rural King employee, 23-year-old Tristan M. Smith of Powell, approached McBee to find he was shoplifting ammo and bungee cords on Dec. 22, 2022.
KCSO said McBee and Smith got into a "shuffle" outside the back of the business—that's when he was fatally shot. McBee ran from the crime scene in the same car he traveled to Rural King in, KCSO said.
McBee's aunt, Angela Hixon, told deputies where McBee was and recalled what she said in court.
"He went to run out the back exit, and the boy ran after him and tried to swipe him, and he shot him," she said.
KCSO said McBee was previously arrested by the Knoxville Police Department for especially aggravated robbery and felony evading. He is also accused of shooting a man after a struggle over a gun outside of a home on Coker Avenue on Oct. 24, according to KPD.
Arrest records show that McBee was also arrested on Dec. 5 for possession of unlawful drug paraphernalia.
KCSO said Sheriff Tom Spangler, special units and detectives were out Thursday night into Friday morning looking for McBee. As many as 40 officers were out searching for McBee from Grainger County to Blount County.
McBee's grandfather was also taken into custody Monday at court for intimidating witnesses. The judge told him to stay in the courtroom but said he went outside and was seen talking to witnesses.