Man pleads guilty in 2013 beating death

July 22, 2016

JACKSON, Tenn. — Brett Atchison pleaded guilty Friday in the March 2013 death of a man found outside Whitehall Pre-K Center in Jackson.

Circuit Court Judge Kyle Atkins sentenced Atchison to 18 years in prison for second-degree murder and an additional six years for tampering with evidence.

“Those sentences will run concurrently or at the same time for an effective sentence of 18 years that he’ll have to spend in the Tennessee Department of Correction,” Deputy Chief Tyreece Miller with the Jackson Police Department said.

According to Deputy Chief Miller, back in March of 2013, William Joseph Nachlinger was found beaten to death in a car parked outside Whitehall Pre-K Center in east Jackson.

Meghan Atchison

Nachlinger was reportedly the boyfriend of Atchison’s sister, Meghan Atchison. She entered a guilty plea April 26 to filing a false report. She was sentenced to 2 years at 30 percent time served state probation.

According to Miller, Atchison was a suspect early in the investigation. However, evidence linking him to the crime didn’t surface until roughly two years later. He was arrested in 2015.

Before Atchison formally accepted his plea deal, Judge Atkins made sure he understood what it meant for him. “You understand that by entering this guilty plea today, you are giving up your right to trial, your right to appeal and these other valuable rights you have under our constitution,” Judge Atkins said.

Nachlinger’s family and their attorney appeared in court as well.

“The family is OK with this plea agreement. Is that correct? Yes.” Judge Atkins said.

Though originally charged with first-degree murder, Deputy Chief Miller said the plea deal, even though to a lesser count, is justice for the Nachlinger family. “We’re just pleased that this happened and hopefully this will help the family have some closure about it,” Miller said.

Judge Atkins said as part of this sentence Atchison is not eligible for parole. As of right now, he is to have no contact with witnesses or the victim’s family.