Knox County Sheriff’s Office Archives

Driver identified in fatal crash at Bull Run Creek

Posted at 3:11 pm April 19, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Note: This story was updated at 3:40 p.m.

The driver has been identified in a fatal single-vehicle crash into Bull Run Creek in Claxton on Thursday night.

The driver, Douglas A. Batson, 66, of Knoxville, was traveling west in a 2007 Toyota Highlander sport utility vehicle on New Henderson Road at about 9:20 p.m. Thursday when he turned on his signal to make a right turn, according to rescuers and a fatality report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Batson drove off the right side of the road, the report said.

“The vehicle then struck some wooden pylons and then went into the river and then sank to the bottom,” the report said.

[Read more…]

Oak Ridge police arrest five suspects in alleged counterfeit cash bust

Posted at 4:20 pm February 26, 2019
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

On Thursday, February 21, 2019, the Oak Ridge Police Department arrested five suspects following a fraudulent transaction with the use of counterfeit money, the City of Oak Ridge said Monday, Feb. 25, 2019. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge/ORPD)

On Thursday, February 21, the Oak Ridge Police Department arrested five suspects following a fraudulent transaction with the use of counterfeit money, the City of Oak Ridge said in a press release.

Officers were notified by a local business that suspected counterfeit bills had been used to pay for items in the store, the press release said. An employee of the business was able to provide a description of the vehicle driven by the suspects. The vehicle was spotted just minutes later, still in the immediate area near South Tulane Avenue, and an Oak Ridge Police Department officer initiated a traffic stop, the release said.

The suspects were found to be in possession of counterfeit money in denominations of $100s and $50s, the press release said. All five suspects were arrested and taken to the Anderson County Detention Facility in Clinton. [Read more…]

McGuire Books closing, while Packard’s store re-opened

Posted at 6:59 pm June 2, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

McGuire Books in Oak Ridge is closing. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the store, which also sells CDs, DVDs, games, and electronics, on Thursday, May 24, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

McGuire Books in Oak Ridge is closing, while Packard’s Games and Movies in Clinton has re-opened and Packard’s in Kingston is expected to re-open.

The McGuire Books store in Oak Ridge, which also sells compact discs, digital video discs, games, and electronics, said it was closing after it was searched and some items were seized by law enforcement starting at about noon Thursday, May 24. The store was open the next day, Friday of last week, with a skeleton crew of staff members, although there were, at that time, shelves that were conspicuously empty at the front of the store. Law enforcement officers were reported to have taken DVDs, games, and some other items.

The search last week, which continued into Thursday night and involved several large moving trucks, was led by the Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force of Anderson County. The CTF was helped by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, the Eighth Judicial District Drug Task Force, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and Clinton Police Department. Seventh Judicial District Attorney General Dave Clark and Assistant District Attorney General Ryan Spitzer were also at the store.

Officers were observed removing boxes of items from McGuire Books and packing them into the moving trucks last week. Crime scene tape blocked entry to the store, and a Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force crime scene truck was parked out front. The purpose of the search has not been announced. [Read more…]

Law enforcement search at McGuire could continue through Thursday night

Posted at 12:02 am May 25, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The law enforcement search at McGuire—a store that sells used books, compact discs, digital video discs, and electronics—is expected to last hours and continue through the night Thursday, May 24, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was last updated at 9:45 a.m. May 25.

The law enforcement search at McGuire—a store that sells used books, compact discs, digital video discs, and electronics—is expected to last hours and continue through the night (Thursday night).

The Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force of Anderson County executed search warrants at McGuire Used Books, CDs, DVDs, Games, and More starting at about noon Thursday. There were reported to be about a dozen employees in the store at the time the search began.

Authorities declined to say why they were searching the store on Thursday afternoon. But they had a stack of moving boxes ready to be folded and numerous boxes folded and ready to be used, and there were several moving trucks parked near the store, including one right in front of it.

Crime scene tape blocked entry to the store, and a Seventh Judicial District Crime Task Force crime scene truck was parked out front.

At about 10 p.m. Thursday, it appeared that boxes with items inside were occasionally being brought out of the store and loaded into the moving truck parked in front of McGuire. [Read more…]

Updated: Fisherman finds body of missing man at Bull Run Park

Posted at 8:09 pm February 21, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Anderson County Rescue Squad and Anderson County Sheriff’s Department helped retrieve a body found under water in Bull Run Creek at Bull Run Park in Claxton on Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 21, 2018. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was updated at 10:45 a.m. Feb. 22.

CLAXTON—A fisherman found a body under about four feet of water at Bull Run Park in Claxton on Wednesday afternoon, and it has been identified as the man reported missing from Karns in Knox County on Sunday morning, authorities said.

The body of Freddy Shultz, 66, was located on the slope of the bank of Bull Run Creek at Bull Run Park at about 3:48 p.m. Wednesday, according to information from Anderson County Sheriff Paul White and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. The body was located near the New Henderson Road bridge after four days of searching.

Divers from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department and a boat with personnel from the Anderson County Rescue Squad assisted in the recovery, said Mark Lucas, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department chief deputy.

White said identification in the man’s wallet identified him as the missing man. His black pickup truck had been found parked alongside New Henderson Road across the creek from Bull Run Park at about 12:45 p.m. Sunday. [Read more…]

FBI investigates Kingston Pike bank robbery, describes suspect

Posted at 9:18 am April 5, 2017
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The FBI is investigating a bank robbery at the U.S. Bank at 8845 Kingston Pike in Knoxville at about 5 p.m. April 4, 2017. (Photo: FBI)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating a bank robbery reported at a U.S. Bank on Kingston Pike in Knoxville on Tuesday afternoon.

The robbery was reported at the U.S. Bank at 8845 Kingston Pike at about 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The FBI reported that a white man entered the bank and demanded money with a note.

“After obtaining an undisclosed amount of money from the bank, the robber fled in a white, four-door sedan,” the FBI said.

The robber is described as a white male with gray hair down to his collar, and he is estimated to be about 6’0” and weigh about 250 pounds. He could be between 45-55 years old, and he was wearing a gray hooded sweat shirt, dark-colored sweat pants, white sneakers, glasses, and a dark-colored knit cap, the FBI said. [Read more…]

KCSO investigates robbery at gas station in Solway, describes suspects

Posted at 2:42 pm April 4, 2017
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit is investigating an armed robbery early Monday morning at a gas station in Solway. (Photo via Knox County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit is investigating an armed robbery early Monday morning at a gas station in Solway.

According to the initial investigation, two males entered the Kenjo Market, located at 8901 Oak Ridge Highway, around 4:18 a.m. Monday, the KCSO said. Armed with a handgun, the two robbed the business of an undisclosed amount of money and fled.

One suspect is described as a white male with brown hair, approximately 45-60 years old, and he is 5’8”-5’10” and estimated to weigh 180-200 pounds. He was wearing a white bandana around his neck, a red and black shirt, denim pants, and a dark-colored hat at the time of the robbery, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said. [Read more…]

Updated: Authorities suspend search for suspects in Claxton

Posted at 11:00 am December 19, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Law enforcement used K-9s to search extensively for about five hours for suspects who crashed a rental van on Edgemoor Road in Claxton on Sunday night, but they were not able to locate anyone and the search has been suspended, authorities said Monday.

A Sheriff’s Department K-9 bloodhound tracked all the way across Chestnut Ridge to West Wolf Valley Road, but the track ended abruptly and it appears the suspects were picked up by a car, said Mark Lucas, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department chief deputy.

Around midnight, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department also helped Oak Ridge Police Department search the east end of Oak Ridge for about two hours with a K-9 and other deputies looking for a suspicious person that had been reported. It is not clear if that person was involved with the burglary suspects, Lucas said. [Read more…]

Manhunt in Claxton follows incident in west Knox, chase, crash

Posted at 10:15 pm December 18, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

CLAXTON—The manhunt in Claxton on Sunday evening is related to a possible vehicle break-in or attempted break-in at Concord Park in west Knox County, followed by a possible chase by a victim down Pellissippi Parkway and Edgemoor Road, and then a crash on Edgemoor Road, authorities said.

Authorities reported that there might have been three or four men in the rental van that was chased and then crashed on Edgemoor Road at Ozella Lane, just east of Bull Run Fossil Plant.

The incident was reported at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, said Mark Lucas, Anderson County Sheriff’s Department chief deputy. [Read more…]

Son charged in gruesome murder of parents; mother worked in Oak Ridge

Posted at 5:37 pm November 30, 2016
By John Huotari 3 Comments

Joel Michael Guy Jr.

A 28-year-old man has been charged in the gruesome murder of his parents, one of whom worked in Oak Ridge, authorities said.

Joel Michael Guy Jr., 28, was arrested Tuesday evening in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and charged with killing his parents, Joel Michael Guy Sr., 61, and Lisa Guy, 55, at their home at 11434 Goldenview Lane in west Knox County, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said.

The parents are believed to have been murdered between Friday, November 25, and mid-day Saturday, November 26. Both suffered vicious stab wounds as well as dismemberment, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said. Their remains were found in multiple rooms in the house. The suspect placed portions of the remains in an acid-based solution in an attempt to destroy evidence, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The toxic fluid required specific biohazard equipment for removal by the KCSO Hazmat Team, authorities said. [Read more…]

FBI seeks help identifying suspect in Farragut bank robbery on Thursday

Posted at 11:03 am October 30, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

capital-bank-robbery-suspect-1-farragut-oct-27-2016

Authorities are seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect who robbed the Capital Bank in Farragut on Thursday., Oct. 17, 2016. (Photo courtesy FBI)

Authorities are seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect who allegedly robbed the Capital Bank in Farragut on Thursday.

The armed robbery was reported at Capital Bank at 136 Concord Road in Farragut at about 9:32 a.m. Thursday, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

“Reports indicate that a masked man entered the Capital Bank, brandished a semi-automatic handgun, and demanded money from the bank employees,” an FBI press release said. “After obtaining an undetermined amount of money, the suspect fled the scene.”

Here is a description of the suspect, according to the FBI: [Read more…]

Two killed, four injured in four-vehicle crash on Clinton Highway

Posted at 9:07 am October 1, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

anderson-county-sheriffs-department-clinton-highway-sept-30-2016

A Georgia man and a Powell man who were in a vehicle that fled a traffic stop in Knox County were killed in a four-vehicle crash on Clinton Highway in Anderson County late Friday morning, authorities said. A short section of Clinton Highway was closed for about five hours between Mehaffey Road and Old Clinton Pike as the Tennessee Highway Patrol investigated the fatal crash, which also injured four people. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Four other people were injured in the crash, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The men who died were driver Roy Simmons, 29, of Helena, Georgia, and passenger Charles Miller, 25, of Powell, Tennessee, the THP said in a fatal crash report. The two men were in a 2001 Ford TSS driven by Simmons.

The crash was reported at about 11:32 a.m. Friday on Clinton Highway near the intersection with Old Clinton Pike in Anderson County, near the Anderson-Knox county line, the THP said.

The fatal crash report said a Knox County Sheriff’s Office deputy was trying to stop the car driven by Simmons in the northbound lanes of Clinton Highway near West Beaver Creek in Knox County, but the car fled. While fleeing, the car lost control and crossed the center line while going left around a curve, the crash report said. [Read more…]