Accused Cop Killer Tried Burning Slain Deputy's Body, Car: DA

CHARLOTTE, TN -- More details emerged Friday on the death of Dickson County Sheriff's Sgt. Daniel Baker as the criminal complaint against his accused killer, Steven Wiggins, was released.

According to an indictment handed down by a Special Grand Jury, Wiggins shot Baker after a traffic stop. The indictment says Baker's body camera captured extensive footage of the deadly encounter.

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Wiggins reportedly gave Baker a false social security number and Baker ran the car Wiggins and his alleged accomplices Erika Castro-Miles were in. The car came back stolen, so Baker ordered the pair out of the car. Wiggins can be heard saying the driver's side door doesn't open, so Baker tells him to climb out of the passenger side, according to the indictment.

It was then that Wiggins turned and fired five shots from a .45-caliber handgun at the deputy. Baker fell as he tried to escape and Wiggins fired at him five more times, according to the complaint. He then stole Baker's service revolver and put his body in the car, driving it more than four miles, where he tried to light the car on fire with Baker's body in the backseat, according to the indictment.

He's also alleged to have answered a call on Baker's cell phone, pretending to be the slain sergeant, and responded to a call on the patrol car's radio.

Once Baker's body was discovered and his body camera recovered, Wiggins became the subject of a massive manhunt. He was arrested after a 48-hour search.

In an interview with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation after his arrest, Wiggins claimed he tried to perform CPR on Baker, but was then confronted with the body camera footage, according to an interview transcript. Wiggins then said he thought Baker was dead but "didn't want the man to suffer," so he shot him in the head several times to make sure.

"Like a dog, you know, man, it's suffering. You just make sure," he allegedly told the TBI agent.

Wiggins made his first court appearance in Dickson County Friday, charged with 12 crimes, including first-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty.

In a press conference following the court appearance, the Middle District of Tennessee's U.S. Attorney Don Cochran said that he plans to personally prosecute Wiggins at the federal level and will seek the death penalty. Ray Crouch, Dickson County's district attorney, already announced he intends to seek the death penalty on state charges.

Image via TBI