The Nashville Country Music Murder: Dream Killers

The Nashville Country Music scene is a well known American institution. Many people who dream of becoming famous musicians take everything they own; and move to Nashville, TN to pursue those dreams. Nashville has a long history of creating famous musicians out of unknown individuals with talent and a dream.

Nashville is also a place where the famous love to visit and experience the music scene as a local would. Sometimes you can even meet your favorite stars; or see an intimate performance by them at a local country bar. Country music lives in Nashville. It especially lives on Nashville's Music Row. This street is appropriately named Music Row because of all of the music studios and live music performance bars located there.

Nashville's Music Row is famous. With this rich wholesome history; it is hard to imagine that Nashville's Music Row was once the site of a brutal attack and murder. The two victims of this crime were young music hopefuls. Their ages were only 22 and 23 years old.

After the murder and shooting; famous country legends arrived on the scene wondering what in the world could have happened. These legends included Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Chris Christopherson.

Everyone wondered; how could such young hopefuls-immersed in the music scene-have been victims of such a brutal crime? It took detectives many years to find out the how and why of this case. The victim that survived the attack was Sammy Sadler. Samy Sadler was only 22 years old when he was shot at point blank range with a 38 caliber bullet. According to Sadler; the assailant simply walked up to the car and shot him. He didn't get a good look at the assailant at all.

The driver of the car was 23 year old Kevin Hughes. When the driver shot Sammy; Kevin ran from the vehicle. The assailant chased Hughes down the street. He then shot and killed Hughes. Because there was nothing stolen-and because of the violent chase down-the police determined that this was an execution style killing as opposed to a botched robbery.

Sadler and Hughes were both members of the Nashville music scene in very different ways. Sammy was an aspiring musician; and Kevin worked at a local radio station in a more technical capacity. Kevin worked for a magazine called, "Cashbox."

He did things like track airplay in the studio. He would determine which artists got airplay and which ones did not. This was an important position.

With so many new artists trying to start a career in Nashville; they were all trying to get on the radio.

When detectives stumbled upon the scene on March 19, 1986; they could not understand why anyone would want to hurt these two young friends. They seemed innocent in so many ways. Neither of the young men was involved in any drugs or suspicious behavior. Hughes was even known to have had a very Christian and Evangelical background before he moved to Nashville. Sammy was simply a guitar player and singer waiting for his big break.

As they looked further into the lives of these two young men, detectives realized that one of these two young men might have stumbled onto information about the Nashville music scene that had endangered both of their lives.

This information was shocking even to the police detectives that were working the case.

Over time, the police discovered that when people have big dreams; they are willing to do or pay whatever they can to accomplish these dreams. They also realized that when big money is involved; corruption will follow-even in the most wholesome of places.

Police discovered a scam that disgusted everyone that learned about it.

It went like this:

People that called themselves producers would approach musicians that had recently moved to Nashville with the hopes of getting their music careers started.

Despite whether or not the producer felt this hopeful had real potential to make it as a famous musician; the producer would convince the hopeful that they did. They would convince anyone with money that they could make them famous. The producer would then take money from the hopeful to make a demo tape.

The producer would then take more money from the hopeful and pay "Cashbox," magazine to put the hopeful's music on the chart.

Many producers interviewed throughout the investigation and trial of the case testified that it was well known knowledge that at the time of the Music Row murders; "Cashbox's" charts were for sale.

One producer even stated that for the purchase of a $750 ad, and a recorded song introduction from another infamous producer(Chuck Dixon); any producer could get his artist's song at the top of the charts on "Cashbox."

After the aspiring artist would run out of money; the producer would ditch the musician and move onto the next hopeful with a dream and some money. Apparently this scam had been going on for many years in Nashville; and most people-including the police-had no knowledge of it.

After learning of this scam; the police developed the theory that Hughes probably knew very well about this scam.

As the technician at "Cashbox," he knew very well who got airplay and who did not. It probably didn't take him much time to figure out why someone got airtime as well. Police felt that Hughes' conscience made him want to get away from; and help stop something so negative. They felt his killer knew that Hughes would probably go to the police with what he knew. They figured that this was why he was murdered.

There were two producers that were very well known for running this scam on music hopefuls. Their names were Chuck Dixon and Richard DiAntonio. At the time of the murders; all of the information that the police had was circumstantial. They could not connect anyone with anything. They put surveillance on the "Cashbox," magazine offices and studio. They interviewed everyone they could think of that might have known anything. But, there was truly not enough evidence to lead police to the attacker.

A considerabe amount of time passed; a few years in fact.

In Chattanooga, GA; a marijuana dealer named Steve Daniel was arrested. This marijuana dealer had at one time been an aspiring country singer who tried to make a way for himself in Nashville. His producer had been Richard DiAntonio. After he ran out of money trying to start his music career; Daniel turned to marijuana trafficking to make money.

Daniel was eventually found with barrells of marijuana in his home. In efforts to cut a deal with the police; Daniel told police that he sold a 38 caliber gun to Richard DiAntonio the day of the murders. The police set up a recorded phone call between the drug dealer and DiAntonio. Daniel simply told DiAntonio that the police had visited him about the gun. He then asked DiAntonio what he should say to police.

DiAntonio told Daniels to tell the police that the two of them had been together the night of the murders. Since this would give DiAntonio and Daniel both an alibi; this was almost a confession to police. But, it wasn't enough.

After a few more years went by, and forensic detective work became more prevailent; the police got the idea to test bullets in Daniel's back yard.

Apparently, Richard DiAntonio had test fired the gun before purchasing it from Daniel. Once the police tested the bullets; they found that one of the bullets in the tree was an identical ballistic match to the bullets that wounded Sammy Sadler and killed Kevin Hughes.

This was enough evidence for the police to take DiAntonio to trial.

By the time of the trial; Chuck Dixon had died. Though he had worked with DiAntonio on many occasions; and they were well-known partners in many endeavors- he could not be investigated.

DiAntonio was eventually arrested and charged with the murder. He was found guilty of the crime and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. To this day DiAntonio desperately pleads his innocence. There is even a web site set up in his defense. On this site; he pleads his case. He claims to have knowledge of critical evidence and crime scene evidence that was not considered. He also has his own theory about the why and how of the crime. He states that his arrest and incarceration are an injustice and he declares that the charges were completely unfounded.

Sammy Sadler continues to make music; and is producing his own music right now. He talks about what happened on his web site where he also promotes his music and his recent musical projects.

This was a tragic story. It was especially tragic for so many people to see what lengths people would go to because of greed and money. It was so sad to also find out that so many innocent people's dreams were trampled upon by such vicious personalities. Many people were shocked to find that this type of thing went on in Nashville all the time; and that "Cashbox," magazine was even a part of this scam at that point in time. It was truly a disappointment that took many by surprise.

Bibiliography:
http://www.sammysadler.com/images/press/chattanoogan.pdf
http://www.rddp.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cash_Box_magazine