Joel and Lisa Guy were murdered on Thanksgiving day, Nov. 26, 2016. The happily married couple was set to retire soon, but instead, police found their dismembered bodies scattered throughout the home the Monday after the holiday. Joel had been stabbed 42 times; Lisa suffered 33 stab wounds. After stabbing the couple, the killer poured a corrosive substance over their bodies in an attempt to dissolve any evidence.
Joel and Lisa Guy were murdered on Thanksgiving day, Nov. 26, 2016.
The murder wasn’t committed during an attempted break-in, by an old flame, or by a stranger with a grudge against the couple. Their own son, 32-year-old Joel Guy Jr. brutally murdered them.
Joel Jr. seemed happy when he arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for a holiday visit with his parents. Before the weekend ended, Joel Jr. had attacked his parents, leaving their bodies in what detectives called a “diabolical stew of human remains.”
Premeditated Murder
Joel Jr. premeditated the murder. His parents financially supported Joel Jr. all his life but with retirement around the corner, cut him off from their support. An enraged Joel created a “murder book” in which he graphically detailed how he would kill his parents, down to how he would hide the remains.
The murder book was shown by the prosecution team in court, along with a mound of additional evidence against Joel Jr.
Joel, the sole beneficiary of his parent’s $500,000 life insurance policy, planned the murder for weeks before he carried out his plans.
Lisa did not show up for work on Monday morning, prompting a coworker to call the police requesting a welfare check on her. Police were horrified at the discovery made upon entering the Guy home.
A Shocking Discovery
As police walked through the house, they discovered body parts scattered around different areas. The couple’s severed torsos were placed in plastic containers sitting inside the bathroom. Joel Sr.’s severed hands lie on the floor in his bedroom nearby his wife’s arms and legs.
Joel Jr. had ripped off his mother’s head, ultimately killing her due to “blunt force trauma applied to the neck.” He then placed his mother’s severed head in a pot that he placed atop the stove.
Sometime during the murders, Joel Jr. injured himself. He had numerous cuts on his hands as well as a large gash. He drove to a local Wal-Mart to pick up supplies to treat those injuries. That is when police visited the Guy home and made the gruesome discovery.
After seeing police cars at his parent’s home, Guy Jr. headed back to Baton Rouge.
After seeing police cars at his parent’s home, Guy Jr. headed back to Baton Rouge.
On Nov. 29, police arrested Joel Jr. at his home without incident. During their investigation, police uncovered surveillance footage of Joel Jr. buying supplies for the murder at various locations, including an Ace Hardware where he purchased muriatic acid and food-grade hydrogen peroxide. He began buying supplies as early as Nov.9.
Trial and Sentencing
Guy Jr.’s trial lasted four days and involved more than 700 pieces of evidence and 27 witnesses. He was sentenced to life in prison on October 2, 2020, by Judge Steven Sword, who called this case the “most extreme form of abuse of a corpse” he has seen in his 25-year career.
Guy Jr. was found guilty on all charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree felony murder, and two counts of abuse of a corpse. According to Knox County Judge Sword, the jury found him guilty unanimously on all seven counts.
The judge told Guy Jr. that he “thinks he’s smarter than he really is,” saying that the crime was committed in a very “unintelligent” way.
According to WVLT TV, Judge Sword said Joel Guy Jr. showed no remorse during the trial and even appeared “proud” of his actions. He also said Guy Jr. has a “depraved mind” that would not change over time.
Joel Guy Jr. will not be eligible for release for 130 years. However, during sentencing Judge Sword said 300 years “isn’t enough time” to reasonably relate to what Guy Jr. did.
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