Second arrest made in murder investigation after man’s remains found in buried freezer – www.elizabethton.com

A Carter County man wanted on multiple charges in connection with the death of a man whose remains were found in a buried freezer in Hampton earlier this month has been arrested in Louisiana.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced Friday that 37-year-old Jim Chambers of Carter County was arrested with assistance from the New Orleans office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana. Chambers was wanted on warrants charging him with first-degree murder, desecration of a corpse and tampering with evidence.

The charges against Chambers stem from an investigation that began March 31 after family members reported Edward Elliott, 64, of Roan Mountain, missing. Elliott was last seen in late January or early February.

On May 15, Carter County Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested Joey Lee Guinn, 46, of Mike Clawson Road, Hampton, and charged him with first-degree murder, desecration of a corpse and tampering with evidence in connection with Elliott’s death.

Earlier that day, officers from the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Elizabethton Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, executed search warrants at Guinn’s home and nearby properties. Investigators also received assistance from Greene County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Wayne Wilhoit and his K-9 partner Ruger, a cadaver detection dog. Other agencies assisting at the scene included the District Attorney’s Office, Carter County Rescue Unit and the William L. Jenkins Forensic Center.

While searching the property, cadaver dog Ruger alerted to human remains. The area was then examined and searched with a metal detector, indicating the presence of a metal object underground. The area was excavated, revealing a large freezer. When the freezer was opened, investigators discovered human remains inside, believed to be Elliott’s.

Chambers’ arrest in Louisiana is the second arrest in connection with the case, which Sheriff Mike Fraley said remains under investigation.

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the FBI office in New Orleans, the Louisiana State Police and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in apprehending Mr. Chambers,” said Sheriff Fraley. “I would also like to thank the public for their assistance in providing us with tips and spreading the word that we were looking for Mr. Chambers in connection with Mr. Elliott’s death. It was an anonymous tip that ultimately led us to identify Mr. Chambers and Mr. Guinn as suspects in Mr. Elliott’s murder.”