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Tennessee Cold Cases

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Tennessee Murders

If you would like to look deeper into the data for the number of murders in Tennessee by year, there are multiple local, state, and federal law enforcement and investigation organizations which provide comprehensive reports on their websites. Year after year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation creates and issues a Uniform Crime Report (UCR) which provides detailed data and statistics for the types of crimes committed in many cities and counties in each state, along with their frequency. In addition to the FBI, Project: Cold Case acts as another great resource, providing the public with a comprehensive list of the number of murders committed in each state from 1980-2019 that was made with the help of The Murder Accountability Project, along with a growing database of almost 25,000 unsolved homicides. According to Project: Cold Case, from 1980-2019 there were 22,054 murders in Tennessee. Over the years, around 15,431 of those murders were solved, leaving roughly 6,623 unsolved murders in Tennessee.

Some of the unsolved murders in northern Tennessee include the 1980 double murder of Carla Atkins and Vicki Stout, the 2011 murder of Karen Swift, and the 1996 murder of Morgan Violi, among others. The 2013 murder of Patricia Collins, the 2009 murder of Terry Sullivan, the 2006 murder of Hosea “Junior” Prince, the 1977 murder of Stanley Smith, and the 1996 murder of Lela Mae Adcock can also be found listed under a separate category of Tennessee murders, unsolved central Tennessee murders. An additional category that is often found within various lists or databases that are provided by local and state law enforcement agencies includes some of the unsolved murders in Nashville, Tennessee. Examples of these include the 2016 murder of Ashley Brown, the 2016 murder of Ryan Trent, the 2013 murder of Livia Smith, and the 1996 double murder of Tiffany Campbell and Melissa Chilton, also known as “The Tanning Bed Murders,” among others. Finally, the 2009 murder of Jack Diamond, the 2007 murder of David Martin, the 1969 murder of Kathy Jones, the 2006 murder of Cheryl Phillips, and the 2009 murder of Angela Stovall are additional examples of some unsolved murders in Davidson County Tennessee.


Unsolved Tennessee Murders

Currently, there are around 6,623 Tennessee cold cases, according to Project: Cold Case. Many of the unsolved murders in Tennessee can be found organized by many local and county law enforcement websites, such as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s cold case website in addition to Project Cold Case’s growing unsolved homicides database, which currently includes almost 25,000 cases from around the country.

A few of the many northern Tennessee unsolved murders which you can find listed within the websites of many law enforcement agencies include the 1980 double murder of Carla Atkins and Vicki Stout, the 2011 murder of Karen Swift, and the 1996 murder of Morgan Violi, among others. The 2016 murder of Ashley Brown, the 2016 murder of Ryan Trent, the 2013 murder of Livia Smith, and the 1996 double murder of Tiffany Campbell and Melissa Chilton, also known as “The Tanning Bed Murders,” may also be found among the lists, giving a few examples of the many unsolved murders Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to those previously mentioned, other unsolved murders Tennessee included in the lists of cold cases are the many east Tennessee unsolved murders, including the 1985 murder of Elizabeth Lamotte, the 1968 murder of Rose Busch, the 1980 murder of Avery Shorts, the 1984 murder of Terry Lynn Kirkland, and the 1991 murder of Dennis Ballard, among many others.


Joseph Smedley
Joseph SmedleySuspicious Death, 2015
Asha Degree
Asha DegreeMissing, 2000

Consider this

More than 200,000 unsolved cases have gone cold since 1980, and murder clearance rates continue to drop. With equity for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underserved victims not prioritized in the true crime community—together we can do better.

Famous Tennessee Murders

When you think of famous Tennessee murders, there may not be many names that immediately come to mind. Most of the names on the list of murders in Tennessee on the various law enforcement agency websites may not sound familiar, but a few of those names on the list of all murders in Tennessee, list of Tennessee murders, and notorious Tennessee criminals, however, have become household names.

If you’re a true crime fan, you’re probably interested in both solved and unsolved crimes, some of which may be included on a list of all murders in Tennessee. You can discover famous murders in Tennessee, notorious Tennessee criminals, famous or well-known Tennessee unexplained disappearances, and even renowned Tennessee serial murderers on the list of murders in Tennessee or list of Tennessee murders. The 1996 murder of Blair Adams, the 1991 murder of Peggy Cox, 1996 double murder of Tiffany Campbell and Melissa Chilton, also known as “The Tanning Bed Murders,” and the 1980 double murder of Carla Atkins and Vicki Stout, as well as the 2007 unsolved disappearance of Ricarda Tillman-Locket are a handful of the most well-known unsolved Tennessee murders and disappearances, which are frequently included in these numerous lists.


Homicide Rate in Tennessee

According to the 2019 Uniform Crime Report (UCR) from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the violent crime rate in Tennessee was about 505.2 per 100,000 people. In other words, about 505 people per 100,000 people in Tennessee were seriously impacted by violent crime in 2019. According to the same source, the homicide rate in Tennessee was 7.3 per 100,000 people in 2019. This indicates that around 7 persons per 100,000 inhabitants in Tennessee were killed in 2019.

According to the most recent census, Nashville, Tennessee’s largest city and the state’s capital, has a population of over 670,000 inhabitants. The violent crime rate in Nashville, Tennessee, was about 1,138.17 per 100,000 people in 2017, whereas the Nashville, Tennessee, murders rate was about 16.3 per 100,000 people. While there is no accurate way of knowing how many murders in Tennessee 2021 as well as how many murders in Nashville, Tennessee, 2021, we do know that, based on archived materials, the homicide rate and violent crime rate in both Nashville and Tennessee as a whole appear to be growing slightly year after year.

Davidson County Murders

The population of Davidson County, Tennessee, is now over 694,000 people, as per the latest census. Even though we do not know the exact number of Davidson County murders which have taken place in previous years, we do know that there were 83 murders in 2016, 111 murders in 2017, 89 murders in 2018, and 84 murders in 2019. This is based on past reports released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Based on the data shown in these reports, it seems like the frequency of homicides in Davidson County every year is gradually rising, but remains fairly steady over time.

Similar to other states, when detectives are finally able to obtain enough Davidson County murders evidence in specific homicide cases, they can arrest and charge a suspect with the crime, before they can finally bring them to a Davidson County murders trial. Evidence that is commonly included within Davidson County homicide trials can range from DNA evidence to digital evidence, along with everything in between. The most prevalent type of evidence that is most often included in trials are Davidson County murders crime scene photos, which are shown to the jury during trial in order to give them a visual of the crime scene, the relative locations of any items of evidence, and to give the jury an idea of the general area where the crime was committed.


Nashville, Tennessee, Murders

Nashville, Tennessee, murders are much more common than those that occur in most other Tennessee cities due to the city’s size and population, boasting the title of the biggest city in the entire state. Several murders in Nashville, Tennessee, of various ages have been solved, thanks in part to the persistence of law enforcement, changes in protocol, and advancements in DNA and forensic technology. Since there are still thousands of unsolved murders remaining in Tennessee, authorities continue each individual investigation, utilizing every single resource and tool that is at their disposal, working toward the goal of solving every cold case. Nashville murders discussion will relentlessly persist within social media sites like Facebook, Reddit, and Websleuths, until every one of Nashville’s unsolved cases is solved. These discussions are where users gather in order to speculate and exchange information concerning Nashville murders pictures, Nashville murders crime scene photos, and Nashville, Tennessee, murders autopsy photos, which are very seldom published for the public to view, even after a case is closed.

In the last few years, surges of advancements in DNA technology have caused thousands of cold cases of various ages to be solved across the United States, and of course, Tennessee is no exception. The 2006 murder of Freweini Gebremicael, the 1996 murder of Crista Bramlitt, and the 1991 murder of Pamela McCall are just a few examples of the several cases where Nashville murders DNA or DNA from crimes in additional areas of Tennessee was utilized in order to solve or to bring new information into a cold case investigation.


Tennessee Serial Killers

Tennessee has seen more than a fair number of Tennessee killers and even Tennessee serial killers. Many of the most notorious or famous Tennessee serial killers are frequently included within various broad types of serial killer lists, in addition to list of serial killers in Tennessee, or Tennessee serial killer list. Paul Dennis Reid, Jr., also known as “The Fast Food Killer,” who murdered seven people in three separate fast food restaurant robberies in Tennessee, and Bruce Mendenhall, also known as “The Rest Stop Killer” or “The Truck Stop Killer,” who murdered between one and 10 people in many states, including Tennessee, are two of the most notorious Tennessee serial killers who frequently appear on these lists.


Crimes in Tennessee

To learn more about the frequency or most common crimes in Tennessee, you can easily visit the websites of several local, state, and even federal law enforcement agencies. These agencies publish annual reports which highlight crime in their jurisdiction, including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, for example, publishes a comprehensive annual Uniform Crime Report which details the various types of crimes committed in each state along with their respective crime rates, including a detailed report for crime in Tennessee.

Sadly, it seems that Tennessee’s sheer number of Tennessee homicides and true crime stories in Tennessee will never be cleared completely, but there is hope. Project: Cold Case’s homicide statistics webpage shows just how much progress authorities in Tennessee have made over a nearly 40-year period of time, giving us hope for the future. Based on this page on the website of Project: Cold Case, there were about 22,054 homicides in Tennessee between 1980 and 2019. Approximately 15,431 of those murders had been solved as time passed, leaving the state with around 6,623 unsolved murders in Tennessee. Even so, the different law enforcement agencies in Tennessee will continue their persistence in investigating Tennessee’s true crimes, until every single cold case has been solved, no matter how long it takes.


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Additional Tennessee Cold Cases

John AbbottGeorgie AbneySylvester AbstonJavaris AikensChiquita AlbertSyrina AlbertsKamal AlhalahMariah AliahMohammad Al-MosawiArtemio AlvaradoLori AmendolaraThomas AndersonJodie AndersonCharles Anglea JrSebia ArcherJames ArnoldSymaria AveryTed Aya-AyLp BakerDevon BakerZachary BanksTracey BarnesJames BarnesHoward BarnettKaren BeardBobby Bell JrJimmy BinghamWilliam Bishop JrAbigail BivianoMichael BlackwellCharles BlairAlexandra BlankemeyerRobert BlaskoskiTerrence BledsoeDavid BlizzardRosaire BonneauGary BoutilierJamiah BowdenYolanda BoylandDaniel BradenShelia BradfordMarsha BrantleyKristina BranumRick BreadyThomas Breeden, JR.Janson BrewerJohn Brewer, Jr.Dalston BriggsGloria BrooksJoe Brooks Jr.Douglas BrownDominic BrownDavid BrownMarcia BrownMelvin BucknerKelly BumbaloughNichole BurgessPaula BurnetteDeangelo BurnsChristina BussellLuke ButlerJames ButlerLee ButlerTeresa ButlerShane ByrdDavid ByrgeOdin Caceres-MezaOscar CamposJoy CannonKenia CardonaTonetta Carlisle Brenda CarrollAnette CarterLaTyra CarterKacey CarterDianna CarterJerrica CarterKevis Caseres-AlvarezJerome CasteelElyza CatesAmber CatesGabriela Cervantes-JascaLeroy ChamberlinJade ChambersJenyfer ChavezJohn CheekMarlena ChildressShaylea ChildressHendy Chun-PerezKenneth ClaiborneAshley ClantonJacob ClarkFelicia ClarkHannah ClarkLisa CloydRonnie CobbJames CocloughStephen ColeBeatrice ColemanRachel CongerTonja ConleyJohn Raymond Constant, Jr.Maria Contreras LopezJeffery CookMary CoxAmanda CrawfordKenneth Crawford SrSedrick CrenshawJason CrislerGladys CromerThomas CrowleyFrances CrownoverTravis CrusenberryIngrid Cruz-MesiaDanny CurryApril DahlvangDaniel DancerKeshawn DangerfieldChristopher DanielCordell DanielsJoe DanielsRhonda DaughertyRicky DavidsonMarqualus DavisRegina DavisDestynee DavisJoshua DayAlexander DelcidLuz Diaz JuarezLauryn DickensIsabella Diego-JuanJason DishnerPatricia DixonMichael DoddAlba Domingo-VasquezRodney DouglasRoger DouglasBonnie DranePandora DuckettDavid DuggerTimothy DuggerAlfayus DukesRegina DyeTracy EcholsCatlton EdmondsonNadine EggersJudith EhmkeAndre ElKimberly EllisRicci EllsworthBlanca Escalante-ReyesSierra EvansTimothy FeltyRebecca FernandezGlenda FieldsWesley FischerRegina FisherJoseph FitzgibbonHugh FletcherAlexis FloresKevin FloydDavid FountainAnna FradyRicky FranksRodney FrazierZaylee FryarElvira GabrielPamela GaeblerWendy GallowayMarquita GantCarlos GaraySarai GarciaYossyln GarciaMilton GermanZachary GibbsRadiah GilbertWilmer GomezOgdin Gomez CastilloEberardo Gomez-GodinessKatrina Goode AllenTimothy GrayMartha GreenBeatrice GreenSamaria GreerJessica GrooverKelsey Guess-WhiteheadPatrick GuildBernardino GuillenCarmella GutierrezCharlie HallTerrishuna HarrisThomas HarrisAlex HarveyTommy HatfieldTaquila HayesMichael HearonMiriam HemphillKalli HendersonMatthew HenryBrandon HensleyBrayan HernandezGerardo Hernandez AcevedoCarolina HickmanElvin HodgeTiffany HolbertDonald HoodAmos HoodLisa HooverLloyd HowellJohn HudakNicholas HudsonJoe HumphreyCalvin HuntSoon HwangCarmika IngramWilliam InklebargerManuel IxcotoyacJalen JacksonVirginia JacksonNoah JeffersonRamsey JenkinsKimberly JimenezMayme JohnsonPerry JohnsonDamiean JohnsonGeresha JohnsonDonald JohnsonFreddie JonesPrecious JonesClifton JonesLakisha JonesAlissa JonesMarland JonesAshley JonesMelissa JordonAlvero JuarezSamuel JusticeGabrielle KaramPatricia KelleyRobert KingJames KirbyGary KirkpatrickMary KitchensKirsten KryszakMackenzie KuehnerChristopher KuhrJordan KuykendallBrenda LambertLarue LanierMaria Lara GallardoHubert LarkinsAldejuan LathenRandolph LaughlinJames LayneBrenda Lazar-LopezAnna LeatherwoodDonny LeeHassan LeeSharon LeinartThomas LemonsRegina Lett Burchfield JohnsonChloie LeveretteAlma LewisRoger LilesJanie LindseySteven LoinesBruce LongleyDarbin LopezEva LopezJulie LovettDaryl LoydDeborah LuskPatricia LyonsKimberly MacintoshArthur MaconJanet MarchBethany MarkowskiAlonzo MaroquinThomas MartinDelores MartinSharon MartinDennis MartinJuliana-Mariela MartinezSerafin MartinezDamaris Martinez-MaldonadoDonda MartinoNicholas MassengillYuguiny MatiasCody MatneyEpps MatthewsJimmy MaytonEugene McCommonHilda McCormickCayce Lynn McDanielElvin McGeeMarlaquinta McGheeJames McglothinNancy McGuireMary Elizabeth MckeonBarry McKnightTheresa McmullinMakylia McnairyLucy MeadowsAdrianna Mejia GonzalezThelma MeltonJose MendezMagdalena Miguel FranciscoLatisha MillikenFrancisco MiquelPamela MitchellChristopher MittendorfWatson MontaviousDavid MoodyDamon MoodyShelley MookKristie MoonSummer Moon-Utah WellsEric MooreJerry MooreIvan MooreWilliam MorrisGrace MorrisParker MorrisTiwana MurphyDebra MurrDorothy MurrellCeliscia NeelySadie NelsonBernard NelsonBenjamin NguyenMaria NicolasCatarina Nolasco-QuinonezKenneth NormanJames OdenMarvin O'NealBanegas-Martinez OsmanHassan Osorto-TrochezGeorge OwensDelsy Pablo-lopezJermaine ParkerGarry ParrisKenneth PattersonSteven PaulDonnie PayneCheryl PayneCherryl Lamont PearsonCherryl PearsonAngelina Pedro-MaartinRichard PelcJanice PetersMichael PetittVincent PetritschDowell PhillipsKeith PigramAmanda PooleCarlos PosadaVeda PowersMarquivius PreyerRamona PriestSydnee RaineeMaria Ramirez ParezFrancisco RamosJose RamosShannon Ray Jr.Elmer RevolorioErika ReyesTerrance ReynoldsReginald RiceCarl RichDouglas RichardsonDawone RichmondHomer RickerWesley RidgeTonya RobbinsRobert RobersonCasey RobertsJohn RobinsonRegina RobinsonCarla Rodriguez-OvalleAlexis RodriquezJustin RogersMabel RogersNadine RogersAngel RoldanDelores RossBrianna RosserScott RuckoldtHeller SampleCharles SamplesDawson SandersRobert SandsIsabel SantanaTerry SavageRebecca SavoieIsaac SavoieTimothy SaylesLaura SchmeichelLessie ScottLionel ScottJackie SetserMorterrius SettlesHandy Shade, IIIChristopher ShaneIalla SharpCharles SharpClifford SharpAmerica ShellGregory ShockleyVictor ShowersLaurie SibrellScott SilcoxKevin SimmonsSky SlatonJacob SletvoldEmmie SmithElizabeth SmithVickey SmithBryan SmithMatthew SmithMarsilene SmithCharles SneedRaymond SnowGrant SolomonJohn SouthClyde StansberryMichael StephensTabitha StevensWalter StevensonTerrance StevensonMark StewardNancy StewartJames StewartClifford StewartHeather StinnettChristina StoddardShenna StokesAlice SullivanMisty SullivanLittle SuttonLarry TabbSalena TackettJames TantMarcus TateAntonio TaylorLinda TaylorChris TaylorErica TaylorJames TempletonRaymond ThomasBrandee ThomersonAvila ThompsonJames ThompsonAmber ThompsonRicarda Tillman-LocketCharles ToliverEllan TownsendLarry TrentCrystal TuckTabitha TudersJocelyn TurciosJason TurnerOlivette Lyvonia TurnerStephanie TysonMargaret UnderwoodEssie ValentineJoseph VanbremenOlivia Vasesquez-De LeonElizabeth VaughnKelsea VaughnMiguel VelasquezLeslie VesterChina VideonKentral VinsonStanley VoddenLarry WadeEddie WagonerDaniel WagonerWanda WalkerLaresha WalkerJeffery WallMarvin Wallace Sr.David WarnerRosa WarrenRicky WashingtonBillie WatsonCorey WattsBradlee WebbRoy WelchRarecias WheelerTimothy WhiteMercadeze WhiteFreddie WhittiemoreChristopher WilesCody WilhiteJoseph WilliamsChasity WilliamsKenneth WilliamsNikiero WilliamsRobert WilliamsBrandon WilliamsNancy WillisJason WilsonHenry WilsonMattie WilsonKristie WilsonMichael WittAdrianna WixJennifer WixJohn WomackLee WoodardBarbara WoodenUte Wood-simonsAmaria WrightRoman WrightMickey Wright SrJennifer WyantChristian Yoc MejiaDonald YoungLillard YoungCarie Zapletal