Based on all the information and investigation to this point, officials determined there wasn’t sufficient grounds to continue the investigation further in the death of Lauren Agee at Center Hill lake in July 2015.
Preliminary autopsy results reportedly say that 21-year-old Agee died after suffering blunt force trauma to her neck and back. The results apparently indicate that Agee also had a small amount of water in her lungs.
While no foul play was suspected, the woman’s body was found by a fisherman near the Still Point Boat Ramp across from Pates Ford Marina just before 5 p.m. She had reportedly been camping near the edge of a steep cliff overlooking the lake with friends while attending the annual event known as Wakefest at the marina.

Agee’s family didn’t agree with the initial findings and subsequently filed a lawsuit.

The mother of 21-year-old Lauren Taylor Agee, who died on Center Hill Lake filed a $10-million dollar wrongful death lawsuit in DeKalb County Circuit Court. The suit was filed on July 22, 2016, by Sherry Smith of Sumner County, and names several people, alleging that Agee was killed through the intentional, negligent, or reckless acts of the defendants.

Believing her daughter was murdered, Smith recently told Fox 17’s Dennis Ferrier that another autopsy was later conducted, by the family’s independent pathologist, which reportedly found that Agee’s larynx was crushed. Smith stated she believes her daughter had been choked.

At least one off duty White County officer, who has no jurisdiction in DeKalb County, and apparently worked as private security for the marina, raised the issue of an autopsy photo showing an imprint on Agee’s midsection that appeared to be the outline of the bow or stern of a canoe. He suggested to Fox 17’s Ferrier that Agee’s body may have been placed inside a canoe after her death and blood then pooled causing the shape of a triangle.

Sheriff Ray refuted the allegation stating that the imprint is identical to a TWRA boat storage lid where Agee’s body was placed face down during transport to the boat ramp.

The woman was last seen alive sometime Saturday night.

After being asked by District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reviewed the file in the death of 21 year old Lauren Agee but has not conducted any further investigation in the case. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s department probe concluded that Agee was the victim of an accidental death.

In a prepared statement released today (Thursday), Sheriff Patrick Ray said while he favored another review of the case, his department has turned up no new evidence to support any indication of foul play in Agee’s death.

“In the last few months, District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway and I have talked about reopening the Lauren Agee case for review. Neither the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department nor the District Attorney General’s Office has obtained any factual information about the case since the case was closed as an accident”.

“I have not only agreed with reopening the case for review, I have encouraged it. My department has already, and will continue, to give any available resources that my department has to the District Attorney General’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, or any other Local, State and Federal Departments who want to look into not only this incident, but any other incident my department investigates”.

In a letter to Sheriff Ray received Thursday, Jan. 4, D.A. Dunaway wrote that “As you know, this office previously reviewed your department’s investigative case file regarding the death of Ms. Lauren Agee. As you are aware, I also requested the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to review your department’s file as well requesting that they advise me if they opine that any further investigative efforts would be helpful at this time. After careful consideration, I am requesting the investigation be closed”.

“There appears to be insufficient evidence to charge anyone with criminal responsibility for the death of Ms. Lauren Agee. Of course, if new evidence or information is discovered, the investigation can be reopened,” wrote D.A. Dunaway.

In a statement released in March 2017, Sheriff Ray said that through the investigation, it was found that Agee and her friends had been camping atop a narrow bluff across from Pates Ford Marina, where Lauren and another individual had tied their hammock. The body was found face-down in the water in slough behind the bluff where Agee’s hammock was found”.

“The medical examiners autopsy report concluded Agee’s death was accidental with the cause of death determined as “multiple blunt force injuries”.

The pathologist further informed the investigating detective that Agee’s injuries were consistent with a fall. The autopsy report further showed multiple injuries to the back of her head, spine, and back, and that drowning was a possible contributing factor to her death,” the statement continued.