On a September afternoon in 1969, the Knoxville Police Department received a call that would unearth a mystery that has lingered for decades. On September 13th, authorities were dispatched to the area around Mead's Quarry where a car had been discovered, completely burned out. Inside the vehicle were the remains of two men, one of whom was identified as 61-year-old Murel Mitchell Marie.
The male victim had recently been a patient at the Mountain Home Veteran's Hospital in Johnson City, having been released just three days prior to his death and returning to Knoxville.
Investigators determined that on the evening of September 12th, Marie and another man, Hubert Lee Johnson, had been seen drinking at Bunch's Tavern on Gay Street. They reportedly left the tavern around 11:30 p.m. with the intention of getting something to eat at the North Gay Café. After this, there were no further reported sightings of the two men until their bodies were discovered the following day. At some point, Marie had managed the Dunbar Hotel on Gay Street, where he also resided.
Due to the condition of the bodies, a full autopsy was not possible for both victims. However, the medical examiner was able to determine that Murel Mitchell Marie's death was a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the head. A copper-plated bullet was found at the base of his skull. The case grew cold over the years, leaving the families of both Marie and Johnson without answers.
Decades later, the murders of Murel Mitchell Marie and Hubert Lee Johnson remain unsolved. No suspects have ever been publicly named, and no arrests have been made in connection with the double homicide. The case is still considered open by law enforcement, a cold case file waiting for a break that might finally bring closure to a crime that has puzzled investigators for over half a century. The hope remains that someone will eventually come forward with the information needed to solve the long-standing mystery.
