Outlaw Country Singer Randy Howard Dies in Shootout With Bounty Hunter

Randy Howard was killed on Tuesday (June 9) during a shootout with a bounty hunter in his home in Lynchburg, Tenn.

Jackie Shell, a bounty hunter from A Plus Bail Bonding in Dunlap, Tenn., was attempting to serve Howard with a warrant from Marion Country, Tenn., when he entered Howard's house and was greeted with gunfire. Shell returned fire, killing Howard in what he claims was self-defense. Shell was seriously injured during the fight and was transported to Erlanger Hospital for surgery, but he is expected to recover from his injuries.

According to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesman Josh Devine, the warrant on Howard stemmed from charges of fourth-offense DUI, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm while intoxicated and driving on a revoked license. Howard had recently spent time in jail and failed to appear at a court date, which resulted in the warrant.

"He'd been in jail here for a pretty good while. He didn't show up for court so they had a failure to appear out on him. That's what the jail told me," Marion County Sheriff Ronnie "Bo" Burnett tells the Times Free Press.

The Tennessee Department of Investigation is looking into the events to see if Shell had cause to enter Howard's home. Howard's neighbor Terry Dotson says of the singer, “He said he wasn’t going back to jail. That’s what he told me.”

Howard was known as one of country music's original outlaws and had shared the stage with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Charlie Daniels, Hank Williams Jr. and others. He was 65 years old.