An Overton County man is being held on $500,000 bond after Overton County Sheriff’s Department arrested him and charged him with shooting and killing a Monterey man.

As reported on OCN’s online edition last week, OCSD arrested Travis Dewayne Melton, 34, of Monterey at his Hanging Limb Highway residence in the early morning hours Monday, September 17 and charged him with the murder of Donnie Wayne Tayes, 39, of Cedar Chapel Road, Monterey. OSCD officials were not ready to release details about the case at press time last week.

Asked if Melton had indicated any motivation for the alleged shooting, OSCD Deputy John Garrett said, “I’m not 100 percent sure on motive. It may have been something to do with a domestic dispute between Tayes and his wife.”

According to the arrest warrant obtained from the Overton County Circuit Court Clerk’s office, Melton allegedly confessed to shooting Tayes one time with a .243 rifle as Tayes was going away from the home. The warrant said investigators found at the residence a .243 rifle matching the description Melton gave. Investigators also found the body of Tayes, which was reportedly laying in the back yard of the property face-down on the ground.

Tayes had a gunshot wound to the back, according to the incident report obtained from OCSD. According to that same report, EMS responders could not find any vital signs on Tayes. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tayes’ wife, whose name was withheld by OSCD out of concern for her privacy, was reportedly present on the scene when deputies arrived in response to her frantic Monday morning call to Overton-Pickett E-911.

Though he was initially held without bond at Overton County Justice Center, according to Garrett, Melton was later jailed on $500,000 bond, according to the Circuit Court Clerk’s office, which informed OCN that Melton was being represented by the public defender’s office. As of deadline, Melton’s defense had requested a bond reduction hearing for Thursday, September 27.

According to Garrett, the investigation into the case is ongoing.