No one felt anything was amiss when the Guy family gathered around the dinner table to enjoy one last holiday meal together. Mary and Joel Guy, Sr. were reported to be selling the two story home nestled on the corner of Goldenview Lane in Knoxville, Tennessee. They were growing older and decided that they wanted to downsize, opting instead to settle in Joel’s late mother’s Surgoinsville home.
That night the Guys bid farewell to their three daughters, who also lived in Tennessee. Their remaining child, Joel Guy, Jr., was to spend the night and return to his own home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana the following day. At some point that evening their discussions took a fatal turn.
There has been some speculation that Joel, Jr., who was financially supported by his parents, was told that they were going to cut back on the amount of money they provided for him monthly. It is believed that this conversation is what sent Joel, Jr. into a rage.
Evidence found at the grisly scene suggested that Joel, Jr. repeatedly stabbed and tortured his parents prior to dismembering them. Investigators found body parts scattered throughout the home, while some had been placed into a caustic acid created from household drain cleaner, intended to dissolve parts of their bodies.
Though the liquid had sped up the decomposition process, investigators were still able to identify the bodies of Joel, Sr. and Mary Guy.
It is believed that Joel,Jr. stayed in the home for several days after their deaths, before hopping into his car and heading back to his home in Baton Rouge. When Mary failed to show up for work that following Monday, coworkers were concerned and friends and neighbors visited the home. Sensing that something didn’t feel right, they entered into the home and found the horror scene awaiting them inside.
Investigators were reluctant to release information about the case because they feared that it would tip off Joel, Jr. and make his capture significantly more difficult. In conjunction with the FBI, Knoxville authorities and Baton Rouge police were able to apprehend Joel, Jr. outside his apartment complex.
Joel, Jr. has refused to cooperate in the investigation and is not answering any questions at this time. He is being held by Baton Rouge police and expected to be extradited back to Tennessee within the coming weeks.