Update – Thursday, October 2, 6:41 p.m.: The defendant was found guilty today. You can learn more about the verdict here, and the victim impact statements here. Video of the verdict is above.
Update – Thursday, October 1, 5:25 p.m.: Deliberations began today, but ended without a result after two hours. The jury is scheduled to pick up where they left off on Friday, October 1, at 10 a.m.
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Joel Michael Guy Jr., 32, stands trial in the horrific 2016 murders of his parents Joel Michael Guy, Sr., 61, and Lisa Guy, 55. The trial is scheduled to run Monday, September 28 to Friday, October 2 in Knox County, Tennessee, according to records. The Law&Crime Network will be live each day with coverage running from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.
The defendant’s three sisters reportedly told authorities everything seemed okay when the family sat together for Thanksgiving in 2016. But just days after that final get-together, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said Joel Guy Jr. murdered his parents in especially horrifying fashion. Both victims were stabbed and dismembered, their remains placed in different rooms of the house, deputies said.
NEW TRIAL! We will be LIVE with opening statements in the #JoelGuy trial, Monday morning, 9 a.m. ET. Joel Guy, Jr is charged with the murders and dismemberment of his parents over Thanksgiving weekend 2016. His mother’s head was found in a pot on the stove! pic.twitter.com/rYpN8HJpQu
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) September 23, 2020
Authorities suggested the murders happened sometime between Friday, November 25, or the middle of Saturday, November 26. Guy Jr. allegedly put his parents’ remains in “an acid-based solution” to destroy evidence.
Investigators said that the defendant, who had been in living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana after reportedly withdrawing from Louisiana State University, returned home on the 27th after killing his parents. His parents were last seen alive on Friday the 25th.
Authorities say that Guy Jr. killed his parents after they told him they would no longer pay his bills.
Someone wants the possibility of the death penalty for this case. It’s not the prosecution. The defendant recently asked that he be allowed to represent himself in motions that request the judge and jury be allowed to consider capital punishment in the event of a conviction.
To be clear, the state is not pursuing the death penalty for him. The reason why is currently unclear.
“Ethical rules prohibit the District Attorney’s Office from commenting on pending cases,” said Sean McDermott, a spokesman for Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen, said in an email to Knox News.
[Mugshot in Featured Post Image via Knox County Jail]
