Murder trial underway in Unicoi County

A jury was set and opening statements were given Monday in the murder trial for 29 year old Tyler Owens, charged in the shooting death of 21-year-old Stacie Brugger. O wens is accused of shooting and killing his girlfriend Stacie Brugger after they argued in February of 2022. Owens is facing fourteen charges. He pled guilty to five charges including possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony and evading arrest. He pled not guilty to the other nine charges, including three counts of tampering with evidence and first-degree murder. In a written affidavit, Owens previously claimed it was an accident and that an altercation led to a gun accidentally firing and striking Brugger. The court reconvened Tuesday at 9 a.m. at the Unicoi County Courthouse in Erwin.