Soldier was found tied up and shot dead at his home. Five years later his widow has been charged with murder

Investigators believe that the murder was motivated by ‘a heated custody battle’ over the victim’s seven-year-old daughter

The widow of a soldier who was tied up with zip cables and shot dead five years ago has now been charged with his murder.

Jacob Bishop, a father and Tennessee Army National Guard soldier, was discovered at his home in Lenoir City, Loudon County in Tennessee, by his mother back on October 1 2019.

He had just returned from a year-long deployment to Poland.

Over the years that followed, no arrests were made.

Then, on Tuesday, Loudon County Sheriff Jimmy Davis announced that Bishop’s widow, 39-year-old Amanda James Bishop, and her distant cousin, 39-year-old Eric Austin Byrd, had been arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

Investigators believe that the murder was motivated by “a heated custody battle” over the Bishops’ seven-year-old daughter.

Jacob Bishop, a father and Tennessee Army National Guard soldier, was found dead at his home in Loudon County in Tennessee by his mother in 2019 (Handout)

Davis said at a press conference: “They were going over a heated custody battle over their child and we believe this is what sparked the animosity between the two and eventually led to his murder.”

The widow was always a top suspect, the sheriff said, saying that “in a case like this you always look at the spouse or ex spouse, so she was right up there at the top of the list.”

While the sheriff’s department had been working “tirelessly” for five years to crack the case, he said the investigation had faced numerous challenges.

“Advancements in technology and new evidence” finally allowed them to arrest the two suspects.

Now, Amanda Bishop and Bryd are behind bars, being held at Loudon County Detention Center with their bond set at $1m each.

Father-of-two Bishop, who had another child from a previous marriage, was described by his loved ones as a man who “loved his family and was proud to serve”.

Amanda James Bishop, 39, has been arrested and charged with the murder of her husband, soldier Jacob Bishop, five years on from his death (Loudon County Sheriff’s Office)

His brother, Josh Bishop, told WATE that there was “kind of a relief in a sense” that arrests had finally been made.

“But at the same time, it doesn’t change nothing. I still don’t have my brother. My mom still doesn’t have her son,” he said.

“Really, what I want is for his kids to know about their dad. There’s a seven-year-old girl that not only lost her father but lost her mother too.”

Eric Austin Bryd, along with his distant cousin Amanda James Bishop, has been arrested and charged with murder (Loudon County Sheriff’s Office)

He thanked the police “from the bottom of my heart”: “We want to thank every single one of them for that. They got them… they got them.”

Sheriff Davis added: “This case has remained a top priority for our office, and I commend the relentless efforts of our detectives and partner agencies who have worked tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice.

“We hope that these arrests bring some measure of peace to Jacob Bishop’s family and all those affected by this senseless tragedy.”

Bryd and Bishop are due to appear in court next on August 19.