Man Sentenced to Death in Murder of Tennessee Sheriff's Deputy
By Officer.com News
CHARLOTTE, Tennessee — The man who was convicted in the fatal shooting of a Dickson County police sergeant in 2018 was sentenced to death on Thursday.
Jurors reached the verdict after deliberating for about two hours, according to WTVF.
Steven Wiggins shot and killed Dickson County Police Sgt. Daniel Baker, who responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle in the area of Sam Vineyard Road and Tidwell Switch Road on May 30, 2018. Dispatchers lost contact with Baker after he arrived at the scene. His vehicle was tracked by GPS and located several miles away from the scene and his body was located inside of the vehicle. Wiggins was found days later and was arrested with the slain officer's handcuffs.
During closing arguments on Thursday, the defense asked jurors to consider Wiggins' alleged mental illness, arguing that since Wiggins is medicated, he's not a danger anymore due to his lack of incidents while incarcerated.
Prosecutors said Wiggins had five active warrants and that Baker was executing his lawful duties to take him into custody. They also played the confession video in which Wiggins said he knew law enforcement was looking for him.
The state also presented autopsy reports of Sgt. Baker, saying that 10% of his body was covered in 2nd and 3rd degree burns. They said there was no soot material in his airways, which indicated that he was dead.
Last week, a jury found Wiggins guilty on all counts in the murder of Baker after it deliberated for just over one hour. Wiggins was found guilty on the following charges: premeditated first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder in perpetration of theft, false reporting, theft of property, criminal impersonation, criminal impersonation of law enforcement, tampering with evidence, arson and abuse of a corpse.
Baker was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Dickson County Sheriff's Office for 10 years. He was survived by his wife, daughter, and family including his father and stepbrother, who served as law enforcement officers with the Spring Hill Police Department.
