Joel Michael Guy Jr., 32, has just been found guilty in the murder and dismemberment of his parents, which occurred after the family had one last Thanksgiving dinner together in 2016.
According to prosecutors, Joel Guy Jr. killed and dismembered his father, Joel Michael Guy Sr., 61, and his mother Lisa Guy, 55. Hector Ian Sanchez, the Knox County Assistant District Attorney, said that the murders occurred after Thanksgiving on Saturday, November 26th, 2016.
Officials have said that Guy Jr. killed his father first, then killed his mother when she returned home. He then dismembered their bodies and attempted to dissolve them in a corrosive liquid.
#ThanksgivingMurders – Prosecution closing argument: Joel Guy, Sr's dismembered hands where placed together in a "praying-like" position. @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/OSYgyjjsYv
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) October 1, 2020
According to witness statements and video, Lisa Guy’s decapitated head was found in a boiling pot. Lisa sustained at least 31 wounds, while Guy Sr. had at least 42.
#ThanksgivingMurders – Just horrible to know that the defendant's mother's head was in this pot on the stove. (You will not see the contents). #JoelGuyJrTrial @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/4q3iDUweaX
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) September 28, 2020
The crime scene was discovered after Lisa’s supervisor at work called the police for a welfare check. The supervisor said it was unlike Lisa to not show up at work without calling.
Motive
The motive for the Thanksgiving murders was apparently financial. According to testimony, the victims were planning to cut off the defendant. Guy Sr. had a $500,000 life insurance policy, of which Lisa Guy was the beneficiary. Guy Jr., who is still pursuing the insurance funds, was the second beneficiary.
Guy Sr.’s daughter from a previous marriage, Angela Crane, said during the trial that Guy Sr. and Lisa Guy had been planning on moving to a new home. They had allegedly said that it was time for Guy Jr. to stand on his own two feet.
According to testimony from Robin White, Guy Sr.’s other daughter, Lisa Guy had told her that their plan was to cut Guy Jr. off at Christmas.
Assistant District Attorney Leslie Nassios mentioned during the trial that the victims had planned on retiring.
According to an article from Law and Crime: “Beside the money issues, however, there was little if any inkling of friction between defendant and victims. The Guys were a blended family: Jr. was the only child of both Sr. and Lisa. In addition, Guy Sr. had children from a previous relationship, but Lisa was described as a loving stepmother to them.”
Planning the Murders
As proven by the prosecution, the murders were not spontaneous, as there was a lot of evidence of premeditation. District Attorney Sanchez reported that Guy Jr. planned for at least a few weeks before the crimes took place.
Sanchez established that the defendant made numerous purchases prior to committing the crime. The items included muriatic acid, food-grade hydrogen peroxide, extension cords, a timer, Clorox wipes, a bleach sprayer, a KA-BAR Marine style knife, and the bins which were used in the attempt to dissolve the bodies.
Guy Jr. also left behind notes planning his crime, the DA said.
#ThanksgivingMurders – A dog can be heard barking, howling inside the house. We know from the notebook found in the defendant's room the note said to kill the dog but then crossed that out. #JoelGuyJrTrial @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/0ZiTfdWza3
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) September 28, 2020
During the closing arguments, Defense Lawyer John Halstead described Guy Jr. as outgoing, friendly, and happy on the Thanksgiving weekend. The defense also tried to refute claims by the prosecution that the defendant admitted to the murders during a jailhouse phone call with his friend and roommate.
#ThanksgivingMurders – We may have just heard a form of a confession on that jailhouse call.
McCracken: Ok, I don’t know what, I don’t know what to say.Guy: I mean I don’t know that there is anything to say…tell me I’m a fucking idiot. Tell me why did I do this? pic.twitter.com/sFANzimFRq
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) September 30, 2020
Halstead also asserted that the prosecution had not proved that the handwriting in the planning notebooks belonged to Guy Jr., and that it was ‘unclear’ how the defendant sustained injuries to his hands.
#ThanksgivingMurders – Jury is seeing photos of #JoelGuyJr after his arrest. He has pretty significant cuts on his hands. @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/yvbdc7DMvK
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) September 30, 2020
Guy Jr. was arrested in Louisiana, but the murders were committed in Tennessee. Halstead argued that the defendant was not fleeing or hiding, but that his plan was to return there all along.
In the state’s rebuttal, Sanchez said that Guy Jr.’s DNA was found on the notebook, and the notebook was discovered in the defendant’s backpack.
Guy Jr. faces a life sentence, with the possibility of parole after 51 years. According to the article from Law and Crime, “The state did not the pursue the death penalty, even though the defendant asked that it be considered in the event he was found guilty.”
“Ethical rules prohibit the District Attorney’s Office from commenting on pending cases,” Sean McDermott, a spokesman for Knox County Attorney General Charme Allen, said in an email to Knox News before the trial.
Sr & Lisa are responsible for this 32 year old, who should have been OUT of the house long before it. More and more young people have lost God in their lives, live for the ‘now’ moment, are often more self-centered, and place more value on monetary / material things. Karma is a b*tch, and Jr. will face it either here on earth or when he stands before the Almighty.
Hopefully the death sentence comes into play here. Just waisted space