OAN Staff Jenna Lee and Katherine Mosack
10:30 AM – Wednesday, May 6, 2026
A manhunt for retired special forces veteran Craig Berry has entered its fifth day after he was accused of shooting his wife, according to Tennessee’s Stewart County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to a call at about 1:30 a.m. on Friday, May 1st, but the suspect fled into the nearby woods before they arrived.
Deputies responded to a call from Berry’s wife, whose name has not been revealed publicly, at about 1:30 a.m. on Friday, May 1st. She reported having been shot in a domestic dispute, an arrest affidavit from the Stewart County Sheriff’s Office read.
A blurry photo captured by a trail camera, which is considered the last known sighting of Berry, 53, depicted a man in camouflage, believed to be Berry, running into the Tennessee woods before authorities arrived at the scene. Authorities believe that he returned home after the altercation with his wife to change into camouflage clothing and collect more ammunition.
By Monday, May 4th, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post that the search focused on the woods, but it was unclear whether the suspect was still in the area.
“He is an excellent swimmer and diver, and is in good physical shape. He is armed with at least one handgun and is believed to have taken extra ammunition. He was last seen near River Trace Road and was tracked by K-9’s on River Trace Road. It is believed he does not possess a phone or any other means of communication at this time,” read the update.
The sheriff’s office added that it coordinated with the U.S. Marshals Service to search the area from River Trace Road to Highway 79 to parts of Highway 232.
“This is going to be a really detailed, methodical search,” said Stewart County Sheriff Frankie Gray on Monday, noting that the department had around 30 officers assisting with the search.
Gray called the hunt “urgent.”
He acknowledged the possibilities of Berry being dead, having fled by car, or having swam away in a river. His training as a special forces veteran, however, would equip him to be able to survive hidden in the woods for a period of time.
Berry “was an Infantryman (11B) and Special Forces Medical Sergeant (18D) in the regular Army from 1992 to 2016,” U.S. Army spokesperson Christopher Surridge told CNN.
Gray speculated that “He’s probably in it for the long haul.”
Investigators secured another warrant on Monday, charging Berry with second-degree attempted murder.
Berry’s wife survived the shooting and has since been released from a medical facility. Gray reported that her injuries had been “life-threatening,” but that she overcame them.
The sheriff’s office requested that nearby residents check their trail cameras, suggesting that Berry “might have outside help.”
“I think he’ll eventually be caught,” said Gray. He added that it will be a “lengthy” process, and that he thought it unlikely that Berry would turn himself in.
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