The retired Army Special Forces veteran accused of trying to kill his wife is dead—ending a massive, multi-agency manhunt that had an entire community on edge. Craig Berry was found dead, no longer a threat to the public, his life ended by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Berry allegedly shot his wife during a domestic incident at their home in Dover, Tennessee, early Friday morning before fleeing into the darkness. He was wanted for attempted second-degree murder, aggravated assault, domestic assault, and leaving the scene of an accident.
His wife had tried to escape in her car when Berry fired a shot at her. She kept driving, but Berry chased her—crashing his own car until it was completely totaled.
Though her injuries were described as life-threatening, she survived and has since been released from the hospital. Investigators have spoken with her multiple times, trying to piece together what drove Berry to such violence.
One family member spoke with Berry just after the shooting, learning he had destroyed his own phone. The sheriff described the search as urgent, warning residents to lock their doors—Berry was an expert survivalist, an excellent swimmer and diver, and in peak physical condition.
He was an infantryman turned Special Forces medical sergeant who served from 1992 to 2016, deploying to Iraq four times. The same skills that made him a decorated soldier now made him a terrifying fugitive, armed and trained to evade capture.
A possible financial situation between the couple was mentioned, but the sheriff refused to speculate on deeper problems. Meanwhile, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Stewart County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Marshals all joined the hunt.
Berry’s wife is a schoolteacher in the community. The school district released a statement, assuring families the incident did not occur on school grounds and there was no ongoing threat. Their thoughts were with the staff member and her loved ones, their privacy respected.
