NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The man convicted of killing nursing student Holly Bobo was back in court again Tuesday for opening statements in his post-conviction relief hearing. The hearing will decide whether Zach Adams should be granted a new trial in the 2011 killing of Bobo.
The first witness called was a retired U.S. Marshal who testified about cell phone data from the day Bobo was killed. The judge allowed him to testify as an expert witness. He mapped out cell phone data that he said painted a different story of who could have killed Bobo. He said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told him at the time that he was wrong.
The defense said evidence was mishandled and even fabricated.
“You are going to hear how the state dealt with the other evidence,” the defense attorney said. “You are going to hear things about the TBI that you will never forget.”
WSMV4 reached out to the TBI about the witness and defense’s claims. They told us they are unable to comment on ongoing cases.
Prosecutors argued that the jury had already made its decision in this case in 2017.
“The state submits you are not going to hear anything in the next days, weeks, months, however long it takes… You will not hear anything that the jury did not hear,” the state said.
Zach’s brother, Dylan Adams, took the stand next. The defense then played a video in court that they argue proves both Zach and Dylan were not involved in Bobo’s death.
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The video showed a truck timestamped around the time that Bobo was killed. The defense said Dylan was driving the truck, and Zach was a passenger. Another video played in court showed Dylan at a gas station in the area about 45 minutes later. Dylan said Zach had been in the truck the whole time.
“At this moment in time on the video, had you just watched a rape,” the defense attorney asked in court. “No,” Dylan said back.
“Watched a murder,” the attorney asked. “No, sir,” Dylan said.
Dylan said that he and his brother had nothing to do with the rape, abduction or killing of Bobo, despite the fact that Dylan previously confessed to it. He said in court Tuesday that he confessed because he was being “harassed” by TBI. He said that he lied when he made that confession and later took an Alford plea in the case.
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