Lisa Marchesoni
Posted: Friday, December 11, 2009 11:56 am

Eric Elledge

A 68-year-old father died and his wife suffered injuries believed caused by their 31-year-old son about 3:20 a.m. Friday at their Betty Ford Road home, a sheriff’s supervisor said.

Father Sonny Elledge was found deceased at his home when sheriff’s deputies responded Friday morning, said Detective Capt. Preble Acton. His body is awaiting an autopsy where medical examiners are expected to determine the cause of death.

Detectives charged his son, Eric, 31, with aggravated assault and two counts of aggravated kidnapping for allegedly keeping his parents imprisoned in their home, Acton said. More charges may be placed.

Deputy Matt Moseley reported Sonny Elledge’s wife, Melva, sought help from a neighbor after accusing her son, Eric, 31, of attacking her and her husband. She suffered several cuts on her face and lip.

“Melva was extremely upset and had difficulty telling me what happened,” Moseley reported. “Melva stated her son, Eric, had attacked Sonny first in the bathroom and that he was laying in the bathroom not moving.”

She accused her son of holding her down and repeatedly hitting her, the deputy reported. To get away, she told him she was going to get a drink. She ran to a neighbor’s home.

Lt. David Hailey, Sgts. Kenneth Barrett and Chris Kauffman and Moseley entered the home.

“We found Sonny laying in the bathroom floor closest to the garage,” Moseley reported. “Myself and Sgt. Barrett immediately moved him outside to assess his condition. Sonny was unresponsive and had no pulse.”

Paramedics arrived and pronounced him deceased. Paramedics took his wife to Middle Tennessee Medical Center to be treated for her injuries.

Deputies located the son and took him to the sheriff’s office for questioning. He is being held on the three charges.

Acton said Elledge’s death was investigated as a homicide.

“It’s definitely a domestic type situation between the son and his parents,” Acton said, adding there was a history of domestic assault calls at the home where the parents called the sheriff’s office for problems with their son. “What we learned after talking to the victim’s wife was enough to charge him with kidnapping and assault.”

Alcohol was believed involved in the assaults, she said.

Because of the early stage of the investigation, Acton said she could not release more details.

Elledge was charged twice this year with DUI. He spent 92 days in jail on the second DUI charge.

His hearing is pending in General Sessions Court.