Do you know who killed 22 year old Shawn Demarcus Roberts in 1996? In the winter of 1996, the life of a young Knoxville man was tragically cut short, leaving a void in the community and a case that remains a lingering mystery. On December 7, 1996, Shawn Demarcus Roberts, a 22-year-old African-American male, was killed in Knoxville, Tennessee. His death was the result of a homicide, a violent end to a life that had just begun to unfold.
The specific details of the events leading to his death are not publicly available, but the Knoxville Police Department has classified his case as an unsolved homicide.
In the years that have passed since Shawn's death, his case has become one of Knoxville's cold cases. Despite the initial investigation and the ongoing efforts of law enforcement, no suspects have ever been publicly identified in connection with his murder. Consequently, there have been no arrests made, no charges filed, and no trials held to bring his killer or killers to justice. The passage of time has not closed the book on this case, as it remains an open investigation with the Knoxville Police Department.
The Knoxville Police Department's Cold Case Unit continues to review the circumstances surrounding Shawn's death, hoping that new leads or advancements in forensic technology might one day shed light on what happened that December day. Authorities have periodically appealed to the public for any information that might be relevant to the case, no matter how insignificant it may seem. For the family and friends of Shawn Demarcus Roberts, the wait for answers and for justice continues.
