The Knoxville Police Department Investigations Bureau recently underwent several structural changes in an effort to improve the Bureau’s collective response, effectiveness and efficiency, highlighted by the formation of the Homicide Unit.
The Homicide Unit, which officially went into effect on February 26, is responsible for investigating all homicides, deaths that are suspicious in nature, suicides, non-fatal shootings with a victim and any assault in which the victim suffers potentially life-threatening injuries. The investigators assigned to the Homicide Unit were previously a part of the Violent Crimes Unit, which was responsible for investigating those same incidents in addition to nearly all other crimes perpetrated against an individual.
The Violent Crimes Unit will now be separate from the Homicide Unit. The investigators assigned to the Violent Crimes Unit will lead investigations into robberies, bank robberies, assaults, aggravated assaults with non-life-threatening injuries, work-place violence situations and adult missing persons.
“Homicide investigations, in particular, often require a substantial amount of time and resources to bring those cases to a successful resolution,” Chief of Police Paul Noel said. “When those same investigators are also assigned non-life-threatening assaults or robberies, that takes precious time and attention away from homicide investigations. By devoting a unit almost entirely to homicides and reducing the caseload for homicide investigators, they will have the time and resources that they need to more singularly focus on our most high-priority cases.”
Since its formation, the Homicide Unit has also started reviewing unsolved murder case files. Those case files are being triaged for possible suspects or solvability factors and reassigned in cases where one or both of those elements exist.
That process resulted in the recent closure of the investigation into the murder of Terry Lynn Kirkland, who was found beaten and stabbed to death in April 1984. Investigators reviewed the case file and identified a suspect who died in 2021. That case file was presented to the District Attorney General’s Office, who determined that there was ample evidence outlined in the case file to prosecute the suspect. The case was subsequently closed as exceptional due to the death of the offender.
“I appreciate Deputy Chief Coker and Captain Morrow for their forward-thinking and championing this initiative,” Chief Noel. “With nearly 70 percent of our murder cases in 2023 effectively solved and the closure of a nearly 40-year-old unsolved case, the Homicide Unit has done an exceptional job of identifying suspects and working towards justice for victims and their families.”
So far in 2023, there have been six confirmed homicides. An arrest has been made in three of those cases, while a fourth is currently being reviewed by the DA's office to make a determination regarding prosecution.