April Duncan
April Dawn Reynolds Duncan (1987-2022) was a law enforcement officer from Scott County who was murdered by her husband in an attempt to cover up rape allegations.
Biography
Born March 29, 1987 in Knoxville, Tenn., April Dawn Reynolds was the daughter of Bill Reynolds and Nora Bernice Slaven. She was a 2005 graduate of Oneida High School.
Reynolds married Tommy Duncan on Nov. 27, 2004. She had three children: Caden, Kadence, and Carley.
Professional Life
April Duncan went to work with the TN Dept. of Corrections in 2015. Later, she accepted a position at the Scott County Sheriff’s Office in April 2019 as a correctional officer at the Scott County Jail. She was promoted to sergeant in August 2020.
In August 2021, Duncan transferred to the law enforcement side of the Sheriff’s Office and was assigned as a school resource officer at Scott High School. She attended the Law Enforcement Training Academy at Walters State Community College, where she graduated on Dec. 3, 2021, and received the Charles E. Baskette Memorial Award for Courage and Determination.
Death
April Duncan died by gunshot wound on Jan. 31, 2022, at age 34. Her death was initially investigated as a suicide, but was later ruled to be a homicide.
A funeral service was conducted on Feb. 8, 2022 at Four Oaks Funeral Home in Oneida with Bro. Dudley Harness officiating. She was buried at Slaven Family Cemetery on Big Ridge Road in Oneida.
Scott County Sheriff Ronnie Phillips issued a statement, saying: “My heart, along with our sheriff’s office family, all Scott Countians, and most importantly the family of SRO Deputy April Duncan, is truly broken today.”
Investigation
Although April Duncan’s death was initially reported as a suicide, it was later determined to be a homicide. Her husband, Tommy Duncan, was charged with second degree murder.
Tommy Duncan was also charged with six counts of rape, and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child.
In April 2023, a minor girl reported to the office of District Attorney General Jared Effler that Tommy Duncan had been raping her for years, and that he had raped her on Jan. 31, 2022 — the day April Duncan was killed. She said she had been afraid to report it at the time because of April Duncan’s death. Tommy Duncan had continued to rape her after Jan. 31, 2022, she told authorities.
The D.A.’s office presented a case to a Scott County Grand Jury in May 2023, which returned two indictments against Duncan: one charging him with five counts of rape and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child, and another charging him with one count of rape and second degree murder. Authorities contended that Duncan murdered his wife to cover up allegations of rape.
In March 2025, Tommy Duncan pleaded guilty to the first indictment, including four charges of rape and continuous sexual abuse of a child, and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. In January 2026, he pleaded guilty to the second indictment, including rape and second degree murder. He entered an Alford plea on the murder charge and was sentenced to 15 years that will be served consecutively to the original, 40-year charge. He was sentenced to 12 years on the rape charge, to be served concurrently with the other sentences. Effectively, he received a 55-year sentence with no possibility of parole.
Further Information: The murder of April Duncan