Don Jacobs

Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Joel Michael Guy Jr. drove up from Baton Rouge, La., apartment last week to join his parents at their West Knox County home, along with his three sisters, for Thanksgiving dinner.

Afterward the sisters returned to their homes. Everything seemed fine during the family gathering, authorities said.

But sometime between Friday night and mid-day Saturday, the 28-year-old Guy attacked his parents with a knife, possibly tortured them and dismembered their bodies, leaving remains in various rooms of the 2,256-square-foot home, according to Knox County Sheriff's Office Maj. Michael K. MacLean.

"Joel placed pieces of the bodies in an acid-based solution in an attempt to destroy evidence," said MacLean, who commands the Major Crimes Unit at the Sheriff's Office.

The solution was composed of normal household chemicals and didn't require special knowledge of chemistry, MacLean said.

"It's the kind of thing you can get off the Internet," MacLean said.

Guy left the house unlocked and returned Sunday to Baton Rouge, MacLean said.

The former Louisiana State University student was getting into his car at about 3 p.m. Tuesday when law enforcement officials pounced on him, MacLean said.

MacLean said detectives obtained warrants charging Guy with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his 55-year-old mother, Lisa Guy, and his 61-year-old father, Joel Guy Sr.

MacLean said authorities also obtained search warrants for Joel Guy Jr.'s apartment and car. He would not say whether authorities had recovered weapons used in the attacks or tools employed to cut up the bodies.

"We hope to have Mr. Guy return to Knoxville soon," MacLean said.

MacLean said he was unsure of a motive, but Lisa and Joel Guy Sr. planned to discuss with their unemployed son during the holiday discontinuing his financial support. MacLean also said there is no indication the Guys had named their son as a beneficiary in any life insurance policies.

Authorities discovered "the gruesome scene" in the home about noon Monday, MacLean said. Lisa Guy's employer, Jacobs Engineering in Oak Ridge, had contacted the Sheriff's Office when she failed to show for work. MacLean said a patrol car was sent by the home, but the officer didn't see anything suspicious and nothing more was done.

Officials at Jacobs Engineering were unsatisfied with that response. MacLean said a company representative called the Major Crimes Unit and expressed concern.

"They indicated Lisa had set up a scheduled meeting that day that she would not miss," MacLean said.

This time, an officer peered into the windows of the home and saw evidence of a violent crime.

"It would be described as horrific, a very gruesome crime scene," MacLean said.

Officers found clear signs of a struggle in the home.

MacLean would not go into details of the attack, but he noted Joel Guy Jr. "would not be able to overpower his father."

Lisa and Joel Guy Sr. were last seen alive Friday when they moved a boat to a relative's house. The couple, MacLean said, were preparing to relocate to Rogersville, Tenn., to a home that had been in their family for years.

Forensics officers worked Monday and Tuesday to remove evidence and the chemical solutions from the residence.