Thomas Pate Charged with Wife's Murder

BARTLETT, Tenn. - Saturday night Thomas Pate is being held in the Bartlett City Jail. While no bond has been set, family friends and neighbors are heartbroken with a senseless loss that police say came at the hands of Micah Pate's husband.

The Bartlett neighborhood where Micah Pate called home is still in shock Saturday, as her family gathered in the overpowering rain.

Friday night just after 8pm, Bartlett Police discovered the body of the 26-year old in the Loosahatchie River Bottoms off Brunswick Road. Investigators say they were given the location by the victims husband Thomas Pate who was arrested and charged with second degree murder on Saturday.

Neighbors in this quiet Bartlett neighborhood are stunned. Tammy Bowen says, "She would always wave when she came by and sometimes she would stop around the corner and let her dog visit with ours she seemed really nice."

As early as this week Tammy Bowen says she and her children often saw Micah walking her dog. "We couldn't believe that someone like that lived in our neighborhood right 3 houses down from us we were in shock we all were in shock."

Bowen's daughter Jessica says after the disappearance she saw investigators talking to Micah's husband, 26-year old Thomas Pate. She says a gut feeling told her something was wrong.
"He was just standing out there talking to the cops and he didn't look sad he didn't look anything so he just looked suspicious... So automatically you had an uneasy feeling... Yes."

Jessica's friend Chance says he was also questioned by investigators. He says they asked if he had seen Micah in the neighborhood Thursday evening.

Her husband Thomas reported her missing that night around 10:30pm when she didn't return home from an evening jog. Chance Case says, "I didn't remember seeing her not at all.. and you would have noticed her... Yeah probably."

Saturday evening family members and friends try to come to grips with their loss, and neighborhood friends try to make sense out of reality.

Bowen says, "She was a nurse at my sisters doctors office and my sister had a relationship with her that way and she said she was the sweetest kindest person ever so we were all shocked."

Investigators do not know when Thomas Pate will make his first court appearance.

This is still an active investigation if you have any information that might help Bartlett Police you are urged to contact them at (901) 385-5555.