Special Forces Veteran Who Shot Wife and Vanished Into Tennessee Woods Found Dead
Craig Berry disappeared into the Tennessee wilderness in the early hours of May 1. Five days later, the massive multi-agency manhunt that followed came to an end — not with an arrest, but with the discovery of Berry's body.
Deputy United States Marshal Christian A. Marrero confirmed to Fox News Digital that Berry is dead and "no longer a threat to the public." No further details about the circumstances of his death were immediately released.
What Happened on May 1
Berry allegedly shot his wife during a domestic altercation at their home in Stewart County around 1:30 in the morning. According to Stewart County Sheriff Frankie Gray, Berry's wife tried to flee the home in her car after the shooting. Berry fired a shot at her as she drove away, then attempted to follow her in his own vehicle before crashing and totaling the car.
His wife, a schoolteacher in the Stewart County school system whose name has not been publicly released, was transported to a hospital and has since been released. The sheriff described her injuries as life-threatening. Investigators spoke with her multiple times during the manhunt.
Berry fled into the surrounding woods before deputies arrived. He had a warrant for second-degree attempted murder, aggravated assault, domestic assault, and leaving the scene of an accident.
Why He Was So Hard to Find
Berry was a retired Army Special Forces medical sergeant who served from 1992 to 2016, leaving as a sergeant first class. He deployed to Iraq four times between 2003 and 2014. The Stewart County Sheriff's Office described him as having "extensive training in survival tactics" — and that was not a throwaway line. Special forces survival training is serious and specific: navigating without technology, moving through terrain without leaving a readable trail, finding food and water in the field for extended periods, and evading organized pursuit.
He was an excellent swimmer and diver, in good physical shape, and armed with at least one handgun with extra ammunition. He almost certainly destroyed his phone — a family member spoke with him shortly after the incident, and authorities believed he disposed of it shortly after. No digital footprint. No signal to track.
A trail camera captured him in the wooded area wearing camouflage at some point after he fled. That was the last confirmed sighting. By May 2, the sheriff's office posted an update stating they had "NO idea" whether Berry was even still in the area.
The Scale of the Search
The Tennessee Highway Patrol, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Marshals Service all participated in the search. The Marshals offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to Berry's capture. Berry was added to the TBI's Most Wanted list. Bloodhound units were deployed through dense woods in Stewart County in the hours following the shooting.
The search was concentrated around Gray's Landing to Highway 232 and River Trace Road near Dover in northwestern Tennessee. Residents were asked to keep doors locked and call 911 immediately if they spotted him.
Authorities also raised the possibility that Berry might have had outside help — someone feeding him information or bringing supplies. The sheriff cited a possible "financial situation" with the couple but declined to speculate further on the nature of the conflict.
The Manhunt Ends
The search that Sheriff Gray had called "a lengthy process" ended on May 6. Berry was found dead, ending five days of one of the most intensive fugitive searches in recent Tennessee history. The circumstances of his death have not been disclosed.
His wife survived. The Stewart County school district, which confirmed she was a staff member, released a statement saying the incident did not occur on school grounds and that there was no ongoing threat to students. "Our thoughts are with our staff member and her loved ones during this time," the district said.
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