The Raven Knocks
True Crime/Missing Persons/Cold Cases- I decided to begin a podcast regarding true crime because I feel like some of the victim's story never gets told due to it being to graphic or not admissible in court. I also think that Justice is lost in some of these cases and it's not right. I hope I can be a voice for the ones who lost theirs and perhaps make this world a slightly better place, and have you thinking more cautiously.
The Raven Knocks
The Chilling Tale of Joel Guy Jr.: A Family Murder Unmasked and the Perils of Over-Indulgence
What happens when excessive love turns deadly? Join me, Amy Prince, on Ravens Knock as we unravel the chilling story of Joel Guy Jr., whose extreme dependency and reclusiveness, nurtured by his parents' overindulgence, spiraled into a monstrous crime. The disturbing case of Joel and Lisa Guy serves as a stark reminder of the potential perils of failing to instill independence in our children. As his parents prepared for retirement and urged him to support himself, Joel Jr.'s response was one of unimaginable horror, leaving a cautionary tale about the dire consequences that can arise from a lack of personal responsibility and resilience.
Prepare yourself for a harrowing account of murder and madness as we explore every grisly detail of Joel Jr.'s heinous acts. Discover how he meticulously planned and executed the brutal slaying of his parents, driven by a cold desire for insurance money. From the methodical stabbing of his father to the grotesque dismemberment of both parents, the episode dissects the chilling timeline of events, pieced together through medical examiner reports and police investigations. Listener discretion is advised, as this episode pulls no punches in portraying the shocking depths of human depravity.
Can you love your children too much? Can you spoil or give them too much? Think about your answer and then ask yourself what would cause a 28-year-old son to come home for Thanksgiving only to stab, dismember his parents and leave his mother's head in a stockpot stewing on the stove stock pot stewing on the stove. The answer will make you sick and wonder who you're standing next to in line at Walmart. So again, grab a glass of whiskey, your choice of smokes, as you're in for another tragedy. This, my friends, is the murder of Joel and Lisa Guy. Hey guys, welcome to my channel. I'm your host, amy Prince, and this is the Ravenstock. If you like what you see and hear, please like, subscribe and donate to this channel. It really helps me and I cannot continue without your support. Please note that the content of this recording may contain graphic material, including torture of every kind, and explicit language may be used. The opinions are of my own and may be offensive to some listeners. They are my opinions, everyone has them and if you do not agree, then ignore them like an adult and move on. Listener, discretion is strongly advised.
Speaker 1:Joel Guy Sr was born February 10, 1955 in Kingsport, tennessee, and was a pipeline engineering designer. He married Lisa Guy in August 1961, and they had been married for 31 years. They were described as soulmates. Both were loving, kind-hearted and the most compassionate people. They enjoyed anything that they could do together. It had finally came time for the both of them to retire, but in order to do that they would have to make some big decisions. One would be of tough love. You see, their son, who was 28 years old, was solely being supported by his parents. His mother didn't have to work, but she had a full-time job and her paychecks were sent to Joel Jr. As he was still in school, it was agreed that they would support him while he was in school and once he got his degree then he could fly on his own. They had no idea that he would still be dependent at 28. Joel was their only child together.
Speaker 1:Joel Sr was previously married before and had a daughter and a set of twin daughters. His daughters met Lisa when they were very young and they formed a mother-daughter bond and it was very strong. One daughter testified that she wanted to be her stepmother and would pretend to be her when she was small, and that love only grew as she became an adult. Her dad and Lisa's house was always clean, they always had food in the cabinets and Lisa always cooked a meal every evening. This was something that didn't necessarily happen at her biological mother's house. She was a single parent, so she struggled a lot more. They both absolutely loved coming to see their dad and Lisa Both absolutely loved coming to see their dad and Lisa.
Speaker 1:Their son, joel God Jr, had everything any kid could possibly want Electronics, games, toys. He was socially very awkward. His parents thought he would change as he got older and once he got out of college, but it only got worse. A lot of kids grow out of things, but his awkward behavior wasn't one of them. He was described as lazy, no interest in making friends, and he really didn't care for his own family. He belittled the people that he did speak to, thinking no one was as smart as he was. He was rude, spotful, reclusive and off-putting. I'm going to take a wild guess here and just assume that he was a narcissist. When they got together for family events or to visit, joel would stay in his room, never speak to them or come out, and when I say that I mean his sister stated she didn't even think he knew the names of her children.
Speaker 1:He graduated from Louisiana School of Math, science and Arts but done nothing with his degree. He later went on to Louisiana State University and planned on becoming a plastic surgeon. A friend of his stated that he did have a few friends in high school and as he went to college he lost every friend he had, except for him. He said he was not shocked that this happened. The past few semesters he had stayed in his room and wouldn't do anything, wouldn't socialize, wouldn't go out nothing. The friend said he had no idea that he had sisters but stated that his mother called him often.
Speaker 1:Being as Jules Sr and Lisa was planning to retire, they advised their son that they couldn't afford to retire and continue to keep him afloat and he was going to have to begin supporting himself. He was, after all, 28 years old, way overdue. They gave him several months notice so he could prepare, get a job and get situated, and everything seemed to be okay. I must inform you that Joel Jr never had a paying job before, not ever. I'm sure this wasn't welcome news for him, but his behavior afterward was way beyond extreme.
Speaker 1:Even though Joel had already moved out, his parents kept his room, just as he left it, with their toys in their places, the electronics, pictures, etc. He wasn't expected to visit until Christmas but showed up for the Thanksgiving holiday. His sister noted that when she arrived she saw totes in his car and assumed he packed his things and those for the visit. But she found it odd that he didn't have luggage During the holiday. She testified that Joel Jr was completely different. He spoke, followed her around, took her kids upstairs and was giving them his childhood toys. Now, remember, she wasn't sure he even knew their names. Now, remember, she wasn't sure he even knew their names. Now, I know everyone has different parenting styles and I'm not trying to say anything negative about the parents, but in my opinion it's important you teach the value of a dollar, responsibilities, etc. Sometimes I think parents do too much and don't allow the child to be independent on their own, make mistakes, etc. I'm not saying that's what happened here, but regardless, this outcome was way more than anyone expected.
Speaker 1:That following Monday after Thanksgiving, a co-worker noticed that Lisa hadn't shown up for work, which was way out of character for her. It was her last week on the job and they were planning a retirement lunch celebration. She called and texted but received no reply. She then tried her husband, but again nothing. As time passed she continued to call and text to no avail. She then decided to call the local police department to do a welfare check. Knoxville Police Department came to the home, noticed three cars in the driveway but no one came to the door. The officer didn't see anything out of the ordinary so he left. Later in the day she calls back and requests that they go back out there just to make sure that they were okay. So officers went back out, and this time they were three of them.
Speaker 1:One noticed a for sale sign in the front yard but no Realtors box on the front door. He also noted that the front doorknob didn't appear like it belonged to that door. After knocking and getting nothing, they appeared in the front door and saw groceries just laying there in the foyer area. They then decided to go around back. Then decided to go around back. Once back there they noticed the doorknob to the back door was missing. It was only the deadbolt that kept it secure. He also noticed that the front doorknob appeared to belong on the back door. Odd, he crouched down and appeared in the hole where the doorknob should be. He immediately felt heat and an odor he hadn't smelt before. Picking his curiosity along with his gut feeling, they checked the cars for a garage door opener and they were able to gain entry through the garage. As soon as it opened they were taken aback by the heat and that weird smell and a bloody shoe print. The door from the garage opened to the eating kitchen area. They shouted Knoxville Police Department, anyone home. But only a dog answered.
Speaker 1:There in the eating kitchen he finds a bag of baking soda on the floor, four gallons of bleach trash bags and a box of latex gloves. On the table sat two wallets one male, one female set, two wallets one male, one female a set of keys, some cash, a pair of pliers, a hammer and a purse. Well, this is weird and still it just doesn't seem right. Moving past the eating kitchen was the foyer area in the front and a kitchen to your right. In the kitchen on the counter sat a cell phone. Across from that counter was a large stock pot on the stove cooking and he noticed that the oven was on. In the sink there lay the original front doorknob along with the Realtors' lockbox. Further down an empty bottle of hydrocodone.
Speaker 1:Walking past some scattered change on the floor, he enters the dining room. There on the table set a doorknob, a screwdriver and a couple of rifles. On the floor, along the base of the wall lay several rifles in their cases and boxes filled with ammo. The thermostat reads 90 degrees. It is very hot in here and he still smells that weird smell. The bathroom is clear but the groceries are scattered in the foyer area. Sausage bacon were warm, ice cream had melted, beer was hot.
Speaker 1:Again they shout police, anyone here? We're here to check your welfare. Again, only the dog answers. They all line up, take a deep breath before slowly creeping up the staircase. At the landing they see stains on the carpet. It appears like droplets of blood. It appears like droplets of blood. As they turn from the landing to continue to the top, there's more blood on the carpet. To the right of them there's blood splatter on the wall and another drop on the handrail. What in the world has happened here?
Speaker 1:Once they reach the top they opened the doggie gate and there on the floor lay a pile of women's torn clothing Jugs of restaurant-grade hydrogen peroxide. I had no idea you could buy restaurant-grade hydrogen peroxide and I wonder what in the world it's used for. I mean, I understand cleaning, but what would it have to be restaurant grade? If anyone knows, let me know. Also on the floor was liquid fire, which is drain opener. Four empty six pound eight ounce jugs ofriadic acid, which is sewer cleaner, an empty bottle of lye, a large, wide butcher knife that contained blood and some bloody flesh. Scissors and one of those old cast iron irons Remember those? Very heavy. A lot of people used them as a doorstop. They look at each other.
Speaker 1:The first officer up the stairs, still holding his weapon, turns to further inspect what is going on, and that's when he sees it. What in the holy hell am I looking at? Is that what I think it is? Yeah, it's a pair of severed hands laying inside a room in a praying position. Everybody, we gotta get out. But the other officer says we've got to clear this house first. So they continue making sure they put gloves on and they are not touching anything.
Speaker 1:He moves to the master bedroom. When he observes plastic sheeting on a perfectly made bed, he notices a Walmart bag, which later would reveal a new pair of gray sweatpants, a gray sweatshirt and gray socks On the floor. A blender yes, a blender. Garbage bags, bags, gloves, a sledgehammer, a work light, face mask, a pile of beanie babies, pliers, an extension cord, safety goggles, sharpies, a flashlight, a timer, three gallons of more hydrogen peroxide, four glass dripper bottles, more knives and a heater on full blast. The thermostat upstairs reads 98 degrees, sweat pours and the chemical smell is the strongest it's been. They're getting close.
Speaker 1:The door to the master bath is open and the floor is covered in plastic sheeting. Further in a garden, hose is connected to the shower head. A bloody knife is in the sink, along with two plastic totes filled with some sort of chemical. That's the smell. But what is it? As he looks closer, he finds parts of Joel Sr and Lisa dissolving in this sludgy mixture, taking a breath, gagging, not sure if he can continue. They back out of the room and continue to move on. Who could do such a thing? This was a nice area and a very nice home. This doesn't happen here.
Speaker 1:They come to the exercise room where they find a treadmill and a Bowflex turned on its side, right next to a very large pool of blood. Blood was also sprayed on the walls on the closet door. Blondes were torn. More cut clothes were discarded on the floor, along with the two severed hands, two large knives, a UT hat and a used band-aid. It was obvious someone fought hard for their life in this room. In the guest bathroom, dried blood had dripped down the linen closet door from the doorknob. There's droplets all over the floor. Blood is smeared all over the sink. On the counter set bottles of rubbing alcohol, more peroxide, medical tape, a used latex glove, a set of keys, paper towel, a cell phone, another knife and a Walmart bag which contained a receipt. The floor had that same plastic sheeting, bloody clothes, towels, and the bathtub held bloody bandages. Someone hurt themselves and they tried to bandage.
Speaker 1:In this room, the guest bedroom, which was Joel Jr's room, a laptop set, plugged in and unlocked, on an unmade bed, right beside a nice blood stain. The dresser contained another bottle of hydrogen peroxide along with blood smears all over the handle. A used latex glove sat undisturbed on the carpet and a suitcase that was open contained a post-it note that had an address to an Ace Hardware in Louisiana. A backpack was in the corner of the room. The backpack contained several books with Joel Jr's name written in the inside cover and a notebook. I'm just going to tell you you're not going to believe what's in this notebook. Make sure you light up a smoke and take you a swig. This is crazy. In court they called this the premeditation notebook. I would name it how not to murder someone if you don't want to get caught? In the notebook was a checklist. Now the notebook was found in his backpack along with books that had his name in them in his room. They also had his DNA and his fingerprints on and inside of this notebook. Just so we're clear, this notebook is his Handwriting was compared, it is his handwriting. So just to highlight just a few things in this notebook, here we go.
Speaker 1:Get killing knives. Get paring knives to make small, multiple pieces. Get sledgehammer, break bones. Bring blender and food grinder. Grind meat. Get bleach Plastic bins for denaturing process. Get denature proteins. Flush chunks down toilet. He's not alive to claim her half of the insurance money. All mine, 500,000. Flood house. Turn heaters up as high as they will go. Douse area with bleach. Minimize the things that I touch during the visit. Wear gloves and socks to prevent fingerprints and footprints. Drop something down the garbage disposal to break it. Kill him as he is bent over fixing it. Kill him with a knife. Clean up mess from him before she gets home. Kill her with a knife. Remove her clothes and take them with me to dispose.
Speaker 1:One of the last things the police found was probably the most horrific. Downstairs on that stove sat a large stock pot. When the lid was removed, they discovered Lisa's head. Her head was boiling on the stove and it had been simmering for the last two days. On my Facebook, I will post pictures of some of the crime scene, as well as this pot, to give you an idea of how tall it was. It was one of those very tall stainless steel stock pots.
Speaker 1:I wonder what could possibly be going through his mind when he was doing this. When he was doing this, I would say that this portion of the story is the medical examiner's testimony of what happened that day, and it's not very nice. So if you don't like gross things, you might want to fast forward. According to the evidence and the medical examiner, it appears as if Joel Jr met his father upstairs as he was exercising. He creeps in behind his dad and he's holding a knife. As his father is on the treadmill, he takes the knife and stabs his father in the back. One, two, three. His father begins to fight. Joel Jr wasn't expecting this or how strong his father was. The Bowflex falls. His father falls as he holds his hand up to defend himself. I wonder if he asked him why he was doing this Without stopping. Joel continues to stab his father four, five, six, a total of at least 42 times.
Speaker 1:The medical examiner stated that she had to give wound numbers by at least because there was so much tissue loss due to the acid bath they both lay in. She stated more than likely there were a lot more stab wounds On his back is where she counted the wounds, as his skin was somewhat still intact as it sat above the chemical in the tote. He was found face down in the tote with only his back, from the top of his back to the top of his buttocks, above the chemical. His right foot was also above the chemical. His right foot was also above the chemical.
Speaker 1:After stabbing his father, the medical examiner concluded that Joel Jr then disarticulated him. First he cut off both of his arms at the shoulders, followed by cutting both legs from the hips Again. All of him was submerged in the sludge, except for those two areas. His head was fully skeletonized, fully skeletonized in two days. His wounds ranged from one to seven inches in length and measured six inches deep. The knife had cut into several ribs. It also caused injury to his liver, both lungs and both kidneys. He also had a very large wound on his abdomen, so large his bowels had protruded.
Speaker 1:The medical examiner was unclear if this was a wound or if it was where he first thought to begin the dismemberment. Six ribs were cut on the left and six on the right. The stab wounds began at the top of his back all the way down to his buttocks and were covered on each side. He had several defensive abrasions, cuts and scratches to his hand and a knife cut along the palm. One stab wound had a tail. A tail tells you that either the victim moved or the perpetrator moved the knife as he was cutting. The knife had been twisted. He was assaulted from the back first, then the front. The cause of death was multiple sharp force injuries. His mother had been grocery shopping at Walmart down the road while all of this was going on. When she returned, she was lured up the stairs. Once up the stairs, the medical examiner concluded that she too was stabbed from the back Again. One, two, three, a total of 31 at least stab wounds. No defensive wounds on her hands were mentioned.
Speaker 1:The medical examiner first noted that Mrs Guy had been dismembered as well and her head was removed from the top part of her spine. Her arms were removed from the shoulder and her legs from the knees down. Again, her back was above the chemicals, so she still had some skin and tissue remaining and, just like with Joel Sr, she had to give the number of stab wounds in at least as the same conditions applied. Her head had been found in a pot stewing on the stove, but it was in a different, unidentified liquid. She suffered thermal artifact and not chemical artifact. That means her skin was still somewhat intact and her hair remained. The liquid also only smelled like mild decomp and not chemicals. Multiple sharp force injuries were also noted. She was stabbed on both sides of her back, 6 to 7 inches deep, which penetrated her heart, abdominal aorta, both lungs, one kidney, the liver, her third thoracic vertebrae and she had five stab wounds to the buttocks. She also had a very large wound on her upper chest and again the medical examiner couldn't tell if this was another wound or if he tried his dismemberment. There was another wound or if he tried his dismemberment there. She also noted that some of the stab wounds some, not one also had tails multiple bilateral rib injuries, multiple cuts, 9 on the right, 12 on the left, as well as her right scapula. The cause of death is also multiple sharp force injuries. Both manners of death were homicide.
Speaker 1:So where does the police begin? Well, as the forensics team were doing their thing, processing the house, the police department decides to go to the Walmart someone went to and, hopefully, with having the receipt showing the date and time stamp, they could pull them up on video. And they did just that. The person buying supplies was none other than their beloved 28-year-old son, Joel Jr. Other officers were talking to neighbors and family and when they all came back, together with their information, they put out an APB on Joel Jr's car. It seemed that he had fled back to Louisiana. Well, joel Jr was in Louisiana, but he wasn't fleeing. He went there to get his hands treated at the university campus medical office. He didn't want to get treated in Knoxville for fear he would be caught. He had planned on going back to the house in Knoxville to finish his work, but he didn't take into account that, unlike him, lots of people loved and cared about his parents. He never thought they would be found so quickly, but they were. Knoxville Police, you've done a great job with this case, so shout out to them. Joel Jr was picked up in Louisiana by Louisiana authorities, knoxville Police and the FBI. His car was taken into evidence and, after obtaining a warrant, they searched his vehicle.
Speaker 1:Let me say this kid grew up in a home that was kept very clean. Let it also be known that he had no mental illness and he was extremely intelligent. He is also very stupid, but a lot of folks are intelligent and yet they like common sense. He never had a job or kids, but yet his car was so very nasty. I say that because he thinks he's so much better than everyone. I guess I expected a spotless car. It's not like he had a bunch of reasons for it to be stained so badly. I mean, he wasn't his right mind, he had no kids and it wasn't like he worked all the time. I was just surprised.
Speaker 1:It looked like a kid had just came in there and just went to town with a cup of chocolate milk. In the passenger side floorboard they found several Ziploc bags, each containing several different pills. They also found several receipts. When they opened the trunk, guess what they saw? A gas can and a meat grinder. You remember that meat grinder from the notebook. They took him into custody and photographed him. He had numerous cuts to his hands, as well as a couple of slice injuries. He had a large bruise on the backs of both upper arms, a few scratches on the front of his thighs and a bruise on his right elbow.
Speaker 1:The officers also went and obtained video footage from those receipts that they had found in his car. One led them to Walmart, like why do all the killers get their stuff from Walmart? I? I mean you would think they'd sell murder kits, you know. Thank god they don't. I'm just saying he also went to Ace Hardware, home Depot and Academy Sports and was captured on video buying the supplies that were found in the house. At all those places he also had receipts where he used his father's bank card to make several purchases and paid a few bills roughly close to $10,000. That's a lot.
Speaker 1:Joel Jr never spoke to police. He never confessed. He also asked the judge if he could represent himself, as he wanted the death penalty because he wanted to have a cell all by himself. However, the judge told him it didn't matter if he represented himself or not. It wasn't up to him or his attorneys. It was up to the state to seek the death penalty and he advised him to use his counsel, in which he did. The state was not seeking death for him. He did. The state was not seeking death for him as this is what he wanted.
Speaker 1:The prosecution had so much evidence it was quite overwhelming. They had the premeditated notebook receipts for supplies that were found in the home and car dating all the way back to the 9th of November, several weeks before the murders. They had his fingerprints, his DNA, on just about everything of importance to this case. Now the defense argued that because Joel Jr was completely different the days before the murders, he couldn't have committed them because he was friendly and happy when they were all gathered together the day before he killed them Really, when they were all gathered together the day before he killed them Really. Like that should be flag after flag after flag after flag, because that was totally out of character for him. But I mean, I get it, I can't blame the defense, that's all they had. I mean, this was a slam-dunk case, a no-brainer. He was guilty and everyone, including his counsel and himself, knew it. Joel Guy Jr was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison without the possibility of parole. And if you guys were wondering about the dog, in this case it was taken and treated and evaluated because of the heat in the house, but he is just fine.
Speaker 1:And that is episode two of the Joel and Lisa Guy story. Coming up next week is a story about a girl whose two-week decision brought out the monster in her and the demon within him. It also caused the life of an innocent victim and if you ever decide to store a body in the freezer for eight to nine months, here's a little heads up. It won't destroy all the DNA. But that's next week. Please share, like and subscribe to my channel. We hope to be on all major platforms in the coming weeks. Check us out on Facebook as well, and until next time, stay safe. You.
