Second man, girlfriend arrested in fatal shooting of nurse Caitlyn Kaufman

A second man wanted in connection with the shooting death of nurse Caitlyn Kaufman along a Nashville interstate was captured Tuesday night by a team of local, state and federal authorities. 

James Edward Cowan, 28, was arrested when he arrived at a Hickory Hollow Place apartment complex by Metro Nashville police, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and ATF agents, authorities said. His girlfriend, 21-year-old DimeneshiaCarter, who was with him at the time of his arrest, was also arrested in connection with the case.

Cowan, who was wanted on a criminal homicide charge in the Dec. 3 slaying, had traveled to the complex from a motel on Sidco Drive, where police believe he was staying the past few days. 

Last week police named Cowan as a suspect in Kaufman's killing. The 26-year-old was shot and killed on Interstate 440 while she drove to her night shift at St. Thomas West Hospital. 

Her car, which was struck by at least six bullets, was discovered by a Metro parks officer who thought the car had crashed. Upon investigating, he discovered Kaufman dead in her vehicle. 

A motive in the slaying remained under investigation on Wednesday, police said. At a news conference, Detective Chris Dickerson, who is leading the investigation, told reporters they were investigating leads to determine the motive. 

"We have some leads," he said. "Right now, there's a lot of things that we're working on and I can't say for sure what it is, but we do have some ideas." 

Cowan's girlfriend was charged Wednesday morning with harboring Cowan as a fugitive, a felony charge.

According to police, Carter was with Cowan when he was arrested Tuesday night.  MNPD undercover detectives, an MNPD helicopter, TBI and ATF agents surveilled the couple as she drove him in a rental car to the apartment complex from the motel.

During questioning, police said, Carter acknowledged staying with Cowan and providing him transportation knowing that he was wanted.

Dickerson said he couldn't discuss what Cowan said to detectives during his interview Tuesday night. 

Carter was jailed in Nashville in lieu of $77,000 bond Wednesday. Jail records show she was also facing a misdemeanor capias charge. Information about that charge was not immediately available.

The shooting chilled Nashville and caught national attention as her family members pleaded for the killers to be apprehended. 

On Dec. 11, Devaunte Lewis Hill, 21, was arrested on a criminal homicide charge in connection with Kaufman's death.

According to an arrest affidavit, a concerned citizen told police they had information about the killing and identified Hill as the person who shot Kaufman. It states the person also told police about the possible whereabouts of the gun used in the shooting.

The concerned citizen who came forward with information also implicated Cowan as being involved, according to Cowan's arrest affidavit.

The two men know each other, according to investigators. But Hill did not know Kaufman, police said. Aaron also confirmed neither Cowan nor Carter knew the woman.

Dickerson said Cowan and Hill are friends from the same neighborhood and were in "constant communication" with each other before the shooting. 

Aaron said that as of Wednesday, authorities were not searching for anyone else in connection to the case.

Analysis of both men's cell phones show they were in the area of the shooting when it occurred and police believe Cowan was with Hill when shots were fired at Kaufman's car. Phone calls, social media and text messages led police to Cowan, Dickerson said. 

More:Man arrested in fatal shooting of Nashville nurse Caitlyn Kaufman

A medical examiner determined a single bullet struck Kaufman's shoulder and that she died within seconds of being hit.

During Cowan's arrest Tuesday, police reported, officers discovered five grams of cocaine, half a pound of marijuana, 238 Xanax bars, 56 Adderall pills as well as two semi-automatic guns and 126 rounds of ammunition inside the rental car. Charges related to the weapons and drugs are pending, Aaron said. 

Hill and Cowan remained jailed Wednesday, Davidson County Sheriff's Office online records showed. Both men are also due in court for hearings on the charges later this month, Davidson County court records show.

Reach Brinley Hineman at bhineman@tennessean.com and on Twitter @brinleyhineman.