UPDATE: two found dead in Chattanooga Cemetery identified, Chattanooga News, Weather – Sports
UPDATE: two found dead in Chattanooga Cemetery identified – WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & Sports
Chattanooga homicide investigators are using a fresh peak line to help find out who is responsible for the deaths of two studs. The guys were found dead in Highland Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Tuesday.
Police believe both boys were shot, but a medical examination will have to determine how they died.
The cemetery reopened last night after being closed for about ten hours, while almost sixty emergency workers and officers were on scene.
Wednesday the search for information resumes and police are certain someone out there knows something that can help solve this case.
"If you know any thing, it may be a color of a car, it may be something you spotted in passing, it may be that you know who did it or they told you," said Sgt. Victor Miller, Chattanooga Police Dept. " Let our investigators know."
Police say no chunk of information is too petite. Anyone with information about the fellows found dead in Highland Memorial Gardens is asked to call a freshly formed homicide peak hotline at 423-643-5100.
Calls go directly to the detectives working the case and remain anonymous.
" At this time we have learned that both victims are related to gangs but that may or may not be the motive in this crime," said Sgt. Miller.
Police have identified one of the victims as 20-year-old Thomas Holder. Channel three has reported on Holder in the past when he plead guilty to providing an illegal firearm to a group of teenagers.
That gun was the one that injured a 13-year-old, who was shot in the face by a family member while they were posing for a picture together.
The 2nd victim, a seventeen year-old, has been identified by family members as Rayshann Underwood. Police say it’s not clear why the two were killed, if they were shot at the cemetery, or how long their bods were there before being found.
" Anytime we lose one of our community members is very significant to us," said Sgt. Miller. " That’s the reason that you see the response that you did yesterday."
More than sixty people responded to the scene Tuesday to assist in gathering evidence, traffic enforcement and crowd control. A group of police cadets also helped investigators look at every part of the cemetery for answers.
Former city councilman Manny Rico returned to the scene with Channel Three, to showcase us where he made the discovery.
" It’s just kind of scary because like I said it’s over here where you are away from everybody," said Rico.
Rico can’t understand why the two were left here.
" I would think somebody is just mean and did something in an argument was going to kill somebody they would have hid the figures somewhere. everybody does," said Rico. " You know this had to be a statement."
Police have already received some tips on the fresh hotline. Once again, you can reach a detective by calling 423-643-5100.
"The homicide peak line is an instantaneous resource that we can use in real time. It goes directly to our unit so its unit specific rather than Crime stoppers which goes to a broad multitude of calls," said Sgt. Miller.
"Our greatest resource in the homicide unit is information. We gather information from evidence, from witnesses, from community members and family members so in order to gather that information quickly we established the Homicide Unit Tip-line."
It will be a few days until a medical examiner can determine how the two studs died. When we learn more, count on Channel three to share that information.