Michael Ralph Daignaul, age 64, appeared in Cumberland County Criminal Court on August 4, 2026 and pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder in the overdose death of Christopher Ray Hale.
Daignaul was sentenced to serve 15 years in the custody of the Tennessee Department of Corrections at 100%.
According to Thirteenth Judicial District Attorney General Bryant C. Dunaway, the investigation revealed that Daignaul sold and delivered a Schedule II controlled Substance (Fentanyl) to the victim. The victim then ingested the substance which caused his death.
(Photo Michael Ralph Daignaul courtesy DA Bryant C. Dunaway)
