Trial of 2 men accused of killing nurse in road rage shooting begins

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) - The jury selection in the murder trial of two men accused of killing a Nashville nurse began Monday morning.

Authorities said Devaunte Hill and James Cowan were arrested in connection with the shooting death of Saint Thomas Ascension West nurse Caitlyn Kaufman.

WSMV reports Kaufman crashed her car on Interstate 440 on the evening of Dec. 3, 2020, after she was shot while driving. A witness testified during an earlier hearing that Kaufman cut off Hill and Cowan while driving, and the shooting was the result of road rage.

A Metro Parks officer on his way home said he found Kaufman slumped over her steering wheel on I-440.

Last year, the lead investigator testified that the officer originally believed it was a wreck when he discovered Kaufman’s vehicle, but then saw the bullet holes in the car. According to testimony, the vehicle was still running and Kaufman’s foot was on the brake.

Police arrested Hill six days after the shooting. Cowan was taken into custody by investigators more than a month later. Authorities said they found two pistols in Cowan’s car after his arrest.

Hill and Cowan have been charged with first-degree murder in Kaufman’s death.

Kaufman’s parents came face to face with the two suspects during a preliminary hearing in November.

During the hearing, WSMV reported that Kaufman’s mother struggled to hold back tears and her father lunged through the partition in the courtroom at the suspects sitting at the defense table.

Bailiffs removed Kaufman’s father from the courtroom after the act. He spent the rest of the hearing sitting outside.

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