An Anderson man has been convicted of murder in the death of his wife, with a Madison County jury agreeing to a felony firearm enhancement that could result in a prison sentence of up to 65 years for Jeremy Hinson.
Hinson, 49, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 28 in Madison Circuit Court.
The case stems from the death of Michela Hinson, 47, whose body was found on June 26, 2024, in the driver’s seat of a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee at the Forrestville Cemetery, about five miles west of Summitville. An autopsy confirmed that she had been shot seven times at close range, The Herald Bulletin reported.
Detective Jim Sundheimer of the Madison County Sheriff’s Department reported that Jeremy Hinson was seated in the passenger seat of the vehicle with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun in his possession at the time of the shooting.
Further investigation led authorities to search Hinson’s home, where they found a box for the firearm—a Springfield Armory Hellcat—in a closet. The serial number on the box matched that of the gun Hinson had on him the day of the shooting, which was holstered on his waistband.
Michela Hinson had worked as a bus driver for both the Anderson Schools and the City of Anderson Transit System. She and her husband had two sons.
The conviction has shocked the community, and the case has drawn significant attention due to the nature of the crime and the firearm enhancement, which could add a lengthy prison sentence to Hinson’s conviction.
The sentencing hearing later this month will determine the final length of Hinson’s prison term.