The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Staff Reports
Posted: Monday, January 01, 2018 12:25 PM
Sevierville Police Still Looking For Suspect Responsible For Hit and Run That Killed 19-Year Old
Investigators said what happened to Breighner will remain a mystery until someone steps forward and accepts responsibility.
"If it was your son, your daughter, your cousin, your mother, your dad, is this how you want someone to do you?" Cordell's mother, Cheryl Breighner said.
Breighner said Cordell suffered from mental health issues and wasn't acting like himself just prior to his death. She believes he was trying to clear his mind by walking down the side of the road, when he was hit and killed.
"Just because people are walking around, they might be talking to themselves, they might be fidgeting, that doesn't mean they're high, they could have a mental health problem," she said.
Breighner said it's important for families to know the signs of mental health issues so they can step in to help their children before it's too late.
"You shouldn't have to wait until you're burying your family member to get help," Breighner said.
Cordell's loved ones are asking for closure and that whoever committed the crime to come forward. If you or anyone you know has information about this case, you are urged to contact the Sevierville Police Department. You can call officer Kevin Bush at 865-868-1748 or officer Preston Parrish at 865-453-5507.