SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – A Sevierville woman apparently committed suicide as Sevier County Sheriff's deputies arrived to evict her family from their home, but the family attorney and relatives are asking a big question. Should deputies have been at the home at all?
Sevierville police say they went to the home of Jimmy and Pamela Ross on Monday to assist Sheriff's deputies in an eviction, but court documents shows a judge just Monday morning had given the Ross' at least 10 more days before they had to get out.
With a portable storage facility now in his driveway, Jimmy Ross appears to be moving from his foreclosed-on Sevierville home after his wife shot herself in an apparent suicide.
Family members feel she should be alive today, and a family attorney is now questioning why Sevier County sheriff's deputies, where there to begin with.
Attorney Herb Moncier says, "The sheriff's department cannot go into a persons house and evict them without legal process."
Moncier says Ross' husband Jimmie was in court Monday morning fighting his foreclosure.
Moncier says while Ross was there, Sevier County deputies were arriving at Ross's Lexington Place home.
But Moncier says, "It appears clear from that file that there was not a writ of possession."
In fact, court documents show, at the hearing Sevier County Judge Jeff Rader gave Ross 10 days more to appeal his case.
According to Sevierville Police, shortly after Sevier County deputies arrived at Ross's home, they heard a gunshot.
Police and deputies entered the home, and found Ross's wife 57 year old Pamela Ross suffering from a gunshot to the chest and a handgun on the ground beside her.
Sevierville Police are investigating the death as an apparent suicide.
Sevierville Police spokesman Bob Stahlke says, "Since the incident occurred within the city of Sevierville, our detectives have jurisdiction over that investigation."
Some neighbors I talked to say Pamela Ross's home meant everything to her. It was her dream home.
Neighbor Ruth Blakey says, "I know she really hated to leave that house. She did not want to leave that house."
Neighbor Cherry Derrick says, "I know that she was very happy in her home and the neighborhood."
Moncier is asking the district attorney's office for an autopsy to be performed on Ms. Ross.
We went to the Sheriff's Department both Wednesday and Thursday to get some answers from Sheriff Ron Seals. Repeated attempts to reach him have been unsuccessful.