CARTER COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A jury has been seated for the Hitchcock trial in Carter County.

Jacob and Joshua Hitchcock were arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the 2023 death of their father, William “Bill” Hitchcock.

In 2023, Jacob Hitchcock’s wife was also taken into custody and faced charges for allegedly filing a false report; nevertheless, this charge was subsequently dismissed, stated Gene Scott, the lawyer for the brothers.

Fishermen discovered Bill Hitchcock deceased in the Watauga River on April 1, 2023. According to the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, it appeared that Bill Hitchcock died from a gunshot wound.

Previously acquired court documents by News Channel 11 claimed that Bill Hitchcock’s sons conspired to kill him after he intended to sell a property that they stood to inherit. These documents alleged that Joshua Hitchcock shot his father.

The brothers were each charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Jacob Hitchcock was also charged with tampering with evidence for allegedly destroying recorded video at the home.

Both brothers pleaded not guilty to their charges in June 2023.