By Associated Press - Saturday, February 15, 2014

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee woman has been ordered held on $1 million bond after being charged with first-degree murder and robbery in the death of a cab driver.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says 19-year-old Tanuja L. Rivers of Arlington, Tenn., is charged with killing 43-year-old Zewdneh Assemu of Bartlett, who was found beaten and stabbed to death by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office in a field near Highway 196 North on Dec. 6.

TBI spokeswoman Illana Tate says a motive and the exact circumstances surrounding Assemu’s death are still being sorted out.



Officers arrested Rivers on Thursday evening.

Jail records did not list an attorney for Rivers.

Copyright © 2026 The Washington Times, LLC.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.