The brother of a man who was murdered at a popular nightspot in Newport in July said he is speaking out after seeing false statements made.

Brent Gentry, 38, of Blue Mill Road, Del Rio, was stabbed to death at the Midnight Rodeo on July 12, and a North Carolina man was charged with first-degree murder in connection with that killing.

Newport resident Jeff Gentry, the young brother of Brent Gentry, said that a letter published in the Newport Plain Talk last Sunday prompted him to set the record straight.

The letter written by Robert Brannon was one of several sent to the newspaper in support of the Midnight Rodeo after District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn filed to have the business padlocked.

In part, the letter stated that, "They had been drinking together prior to entering" the Knoxville Highway business. Jeff Gentry said this did not happen concerning his bother.

"My brother had made a turnaround and had not been drinking for 11 months," he said. Brent Gentry completed a program for alcohol abusers at the New Hope Restoration Center, "and he really made a change. He was a great guy," said the younger Gentry.

He said his brother was with friends who had gone to the Midnight Rodeo to dance and were not drinking nor were they looking for any trouble.

"There was no dispute. My brother said a few words to a woman. He didn't even know" his attacker, James Harmon Jr., 39, of Hot Springs, NC.

Then Harmon allegedly pulled out a switchblade knife, ran at Gentry and fatally stabbed him twice in the chest. Harmon faces first-degree murder charges and is in the Cocke County Jail.

Gentry said it is his understanding, from information at the arraignment, that Harmon had served time in prison sentence and had just gotten off parole the day before the killing and was celebrating. Reportedly, Harmon had served two terms for armed robbery in NC of restaurants and been in prison about 17 years.

Brent Gentry was working doing house renovations and done construction work in earlier years. He had been living with his father, Carl "Jabo" Gentry.

Jeff Gentry said he came public with the information to clear the name and character of his dead brother.