Judd Matheny
{{Short description|American politician (1970–2024)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name= Judd Matheny
| image = AEDC Commander tours Barrett Firearms (cropped).jpg
| image name=
| caption= Matheny in 2013
| state_house= Tennessee
| district= 47th
| term_start= 2002
| term_end= 2018
| preceded= Doyle Lewis Jr
| succeeded= Rush Bricken
| party=Republican
| birth_date= {{Birth date|1970|04|9}}
| birth_place=Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
| death_date= {{Death date and age|2024|04|02|1970|04|9}}
| death_place= Tullahoma, Tennessee, U.S.
| alma_mater=Excelsior University, 2000https://web.archive.org/web/20070919041231/http://www.juddmatheny.com/resume.html "Resume Judd Matheny". September 19, 2007. Retrieved from Internet Archive on February 5, 2016.
| occupation=Security, private Investigation
| spouse={{marriage|Christy Matheny|1999|2019|end=div}}
| children=2
}}
Judd Ellis Matheny (April 9, 1970 – April 2, 2024) was an American Republican politician in Tennessee, who served as County Mayor for Coffee County, Tennessee, from 2022 until his death in 2024. Previously he represented the 47th district as state representative.{{Cite web |url=http://www.juddmatheny.com/about.html |title=Official website biography |access-date=2011-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922035110/http://www.juddmatheny.com/about.html |archive-date=2008-09-22 |url-status=dead }}[http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/members/h47.html Official Capitol biography] His district included all or parts of Coffee, Warren counties. He served in the state house from 2002 to 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Judd_Matheny|title=Judd Matheny}} He succeeded Doyle Lewis Jr.{{Cite web|url=http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/archives/102GA/Members/h47.htm|title = Tennessee House Member}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=123872|title = Our Campaigns - TN House 47 Race - Nov 05, 2002}}
Biography
Judd Matheny was born on April 9, 1970, in Knoxville.{{cite web | url=https://www.wsmv.com/2024/04/03/funeral-announced-coffee-county-mayor-no-cause-death-released/ | title=Funeral announced for Coffee County mayor, no cause of death released | date=3 April 2024 }}
Matheny enlisted with the Tennessee Army National Guard at Winchester, Tennessee, and graduated from Tullahoma High School in Tullahoma, in 1988.https://web.archive.org/web/20070919041231/http://www.juddmatheny.com/resume.html "Resume Judd Matheny". September 19, 2007. Retrieved from Internet Archive on February 5, 2016. Matheny remained with the Tennessee Army National Guard until 1995.
Matheny was employed as a reserve deputy sheriff by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department in 1990 and 1991, and then began worked as a full-time police officer with the city of Baxter, Tennessee, from 1991 through 1993. He became a special agent for the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, where he worked within many liquor and narcotic related duties from 1994 to 1998.
In 1998, Matheny founded Advanced Protective Services, Inc., which specialized in private investigations, executive protection, electronic surveillance and counter-surveillance, training, and security consulting to a number of prominent corporations doing business in the Nashville area. He employed approximately thirty full-time, armed guards and about "250 police officers in an off-duty, uniformed capacity." Matheny retired from APS, Inc. and sold this business in August 2002.
Matheny completed his Bachelor of Science correspondence degree in Criminal Justice and Political Science from Excelsior University (based in Albany, New York) in 2000.
Matheny was chairman of the Coffee County Republican Party and was also a member of the Chambers of Commerce of Tullahoma, Manchester, and McMinnville. He was also a member of the National Rifle Association, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and Quail Unlimited. He was a Master Mason, and a member of the Tullahoma Rotary Club.
Matheny was a Methodist. He had two children, Abigail and Aulden.
Matheny endorsed Rick Perry in the Republican primary for the 2012 presidential election.J.R. Lind, 'More Volunteers for Perry', on NashvillePost.com, November 7, 2011 [http://nashvillepost.com/blogs/postpolitics/2011/11/7/more_volunteers_for_perry] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102203829/http://nashvillepost.com/blogs/postpolitics/2011/11/7/more_volunteers_for_perry |date=2013-01-02 }} He endorsed Ted Cruz in the Republican primary for the 2016 presidential election.{{Cite web|url=http://blog.4president.org/2016/2015/10/ted-cruz-announces-57-additions-to-tennessee-leadership-team-totaling-84-conservative-leaders.html|title=Ted Cruz Announces 57 Additions to Tennessee Leadership Team, Totaling 84 Conservative Leaders}} In 2017, Matheny announced that he would run for Tennessee's 6th congressional district in 2018.{{Cite web|url=http://wkrn.com/2017/06/30/republican-state-rep-announces-run-for-diane-blacks-congressional-seat/|title = Republican state rep announces run for Diane Black's congressional seat|date = 30 June 2017}}
=Death=
On April 2, 2024, Matheny was found dead inside a vehicle in the driveway of his Coffee County home. He was 53. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said it was investigating the cause of death.{{cite web |last1=Shoup |first1=Craig |last2=Broden |first2=Scott |date=April 2, 2024 |title=Tennessee authorities investigating death of Coffee County mayor who served in state House |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2024/04/02/tennessee-authorities-coffee-county-mayor-found-dead-reason-sought/73184727007/ |publisher=The Tennessean |access-date=April 3, 2024}} However, the district attorney announced in a press conference that there was no evidence of foul play nor suicide.{{cite news |last1=Coffelt |first1=John |title=Press Conference regarding the investigation of County Mayor Judd Matheny's death |url=https://www.tullahomanews.com/news/local/press-conference-regarding-the-investigation-of-county-mayor-judd-mathenys-death/video_4b8afa20-f15f-11ee-9b85-0328beb18418.html |access-date=April 3, 2024 |website=tullahomanews.com |date=April 2, 2024}} On May 15, 2024, County Medical Examiner Jay M. Trussler reported that a mixture of cocaine, alcohol, and Kratom contributed to his death.
{{cite news |last1=Nixon |first1=Katie |title=Coffee County Mayor Judd Matheny 'took drugs,' was dead for hours in car, autopsy finds |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2024/05/15/coffee-county-mayor-judd-matheny-death-ruled-accidental-autopsy-finds/73690711007/ |access-date=December 31, 2024 |publisher=The Tennessean |date=May 15, 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-tn-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=Doyle Lewis Jr}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
from the 47th district|years=2002–2018}}
{{s-aft|after=Rush Bricken}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matheny, Judd}}
Category:Excelsior College alumni
Category:Republican Party members of the Tennessee House of Representatives
Category:Law enforcement officials from Tennessee
Category:Methodists from Tennessee
Category:American deputy sheriffs
Category:American municipal police officers
Category:Tennessee National Guard personnel
Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections
Category:21st-century members of the Tennessee General Assembly