Audrey Elizabeth Hale : Families Claim Ownership of Docs in Nashville Christian School Dispute

Accident – Death – Obituary News : : 1. Nashville Christian school victims families
2. Document ownership fight Nashville Christian school

The estate of a mass murderer is seeking to claim copyright over the killer’s handwritten confession in a public records lawsuit in Nashville. Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s manifesto, connected to the Covenant Christian School massacre, is at the center of the legal battle. The victims’ families, who now own the estate, argue that they have the copyright and want to block its release. Despite claims by authorities that the manifesto could harm an investigation, multiple lawsuits are pushing for its disclosure. The document, expected to shed light on the killer’s motives, remains sealed, prompting questions about the government’s transparency.

Nashville Judge to Decide on Posthumous Copyright Claim in Mass Murderer’s Case

Can the estate of a mass murderer assert a posthumous copyright claim over the killer’s handwritten confession? A Nashville judge is expected to weigh that issue today as part of a public records lawsuit against the city and its police department seeking the release of Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s manifesto in connection with the Covenant Christian School massacre.

When Hale died, her parents transferred her estate to her victims’ families. The families have intervened in the public records lawsuit against the city and are arguing that the estate includes the killer’s manifesto and that therefore they own the copyright. Through that line of reasoning, they are also asking the judge to block its public release.

“You can’t just assume there is a copyright interest on any particular writing,” argued Doug Pierce, an attorney for plaintiffs Clata Renee Brewer and the National Police Association. “The only way they could get copyright protection established is if they would have to show the documents in federal court — in other words, they gotta let the cat out of the bag.”

The Tragic Incident at Covenant Christian School

Hale, a 28-year-old transgender artist who police say identified as a male named Aiden, shot her way into the Christian elementary school on the morning of March 27, 2023. She was seen prowling the hallways carrying firearms on surveillance video before responding officers killed her.

The attack claimed the lives of three adults and three children, identified as Mike Hill, 61, Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and three 9-year-olds, Hallie Scruggs, Evelyn Dieckhaus, and William Kinney.

Prior to the shooting, she texted a friend warning that she was about to embark on a suicide mission and that “you’ll probably hear about me on the news after I die.”

The Legal Battle Over the Manifesto

Shortly after the shooting, Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said cops had recovered a manifesto and hand-drawn maps in the killer’s car. Authorities said they would soon be made public. A year later, both city police and the FBI continue to deny public records requests, claiming the manifesto is exempt from release because if it were to be made public, it could harm a potential investigation.

Multiple lawsuits have asked the courts to force the government to release the document, arguing that Hale was the only suspect and noting that she died at the scene when responding officers neutralized her on the school’s second floor.

The Hunt for Answers Continues

In a separate federal lawsuit brought by the parent company of a local newspaper, a judge ordered the FBI to file the manifesto under seal so the court could review it while deciding whether the feds have a legal argument to validate the shroud of secrecy. The manifesto is expected to reveal more about the killer’s motive and rage.

Several pages believed to have come from the document leaked in November. However, the lawsuits are seeking the full extent of Hale’s writings. Critics have questioned the government’s motive behind continued delays in its release.

As the legal battle continues, the families of the victims and the public are left waiting for answers and closure.