A man has been arrested for the murder of Caitlin Kaufman, a 26-year old nurse from Butler County, Nashville, who was killed while driving to work on the evening of December 3rd.
Devaunte Hill, 21, has been charged with criminal homicide. He was arrested by officials at his home on December 11, after somebody gave the police vital information that led to him becoming a suspect in the case.
Hill has been arrested for allegedly shooting Kaufman as she drove to work in a Mazda SUV at around 6 p.m.
The victim worked at St Thomas West Hospital in Nashville and headed there on the Interstate 440 when a single bullet, allegedly fired by Hill, ended her life.
Caitlyn Kaufman’s mother, Diane Kaufman, who lives in Pennsylvania, welcomed the news of Hill’s arrest and cried tears of relief to hear that he had been caught by the police, more than a week after the death of her daughter.
She paid tribute to her caring daughter by revealing: “Caitlyn’s dream was to live in Nashville from the time she was in high school; she had a passion for nursing because she was a very caring individual. She was a very compassionate young lady and had a heart of gold and was on her way to work to help other people.”
BREAKING: Devaunte L. Hill, 21, is in custody for the murder of Nashville nurse Caitlyn Kaufman. MNPD SWAT members arrested him at 6:15 a.m. at his East Nashville apartment. He is being charged with criminal homicide. pic.twitter.com/lJ6LMHy8v7
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) December 11, 2020
Police have said they are unsure of the motive behind Kaufman’s murder, And there is no relationship that links Hill and Kaufman, suggesting it may have been a random attack.
The investigation into the death of Kaufman continues, and police may arrest further suspects as it unfolds. It has been revealed by Fox 8; Hill has had multiple run-ins with the law.
The media outlet revealed: “According to records from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, in April 2018, Hill was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, and in May 2018, Hill was charged with failure to be booked.
In January 2020, Hill was arrested and charged with assault that resulted in bodily injury, and in August 2020, Hill was charged with driving on a suspended license.”
More than 50 people came forward with information that would potentially crack the case, but the breakthrough happened when critical details regarding the location of the 9mm gun used in the shooting were shared with the police, resulting in Hill’s arrest.
The tips came into police within an hour of the announcement that a reward of $65,000 from Nashville business owners was put in place to help solve the crime.
Hill is currently being held at the Nashville Downtown Detention Centre.
Clarion University, where Kaufman graduated from, posted on Facebook earlier this week to send condolences to her friends and family and pay tribute to her supportive nature, tenacity, and dedication.
