Do you know who murdered Jerome Diaz in 2018? In the early evening of March 20, 2018, a sense of normalcy was shattered in Knoxville, Tennessee, leaving a family heartbroken and a community searching for answers. Jerome Maurice Melvine Diaz Jr., a 23-year-old male, was driving his Chevrolet Malibu when his life was abruptly cut short in a targeted act of violence. As he was at the intersection of Ed Shouse Road and Middlebrook Pike, multiple gunshots struck his vehicle and his person.
The car, riddled with bullet holes along its left side, veered off the road and crashed into a ditch.
First responders arrived at the scene shortly before 6:15 p.m. to find Diaz gravely wounded. He was rushed to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, but the severity of his injuries proved to be fatal, and he succumbed to the multiple gunshot wounds he sustained. The Knoxville Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit immediately launched a homicide investigation, believing that Diaz was intentionally targeted for reasons that remain unknown to the public.
In the years that have passed since that tragic day, the case of Jerome Diaz Jr.'s death has remained unsolved. Despite the public nature of the incident, which occurred with many potential witnesses driving by, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made. Law enforcement has repeatedly appealed to the public for any information that might lead to a breakthrough in the investigation. They have encouraged anyone with knowledge of the events leading up to the shooting to come forward, assuring that callers can remain anonymous. The Knoxville Police Department, along with organizations like East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers, continue to seek justice for Jerome Diaz Jr. and his grieving family, who are still waiting for answers as to why their loved one was taken from them.
