MONROE COUNTY, Tenn. — The trial of a man accused of holding a woman at gunpoint and causing her to crash the vehicle they were in is underway in Monroe County.
Steven Drayton, from Detroit, was arrested on first-degree murder and kidnapping charges. The jury for his trial was selected on Monday, according to the county clerk's office. He is accused of causing the death of Elizabeth French in September 2020.
French was 29 years old and had three children. Soon after her death, her family and community held a memorial event in her memory.
According to reports, French was killed while Drayton held her at gunpoint and she drove away from police in a high-speed chase. The chase started when Sweetwater Police Department officers tried to pull the vehicle over, but it didn't stop.
It ended at the intersection of New Highway 68 and Isabel Road, when the van hit another vehicle, rolled over and caught fire. French died in the crash. Drayton was injured and taken into custody.