DONNY & SEAN GOETCHEUS
Update: On October 24, 2016, the Hamilton County Grand Jury indicted Christopher Jeffre Johnson on two counts of First Degree Murder in connection with this case. On April 10, 2017, Johnson entered guilty pleas to the double murder of Sean and Donny Goetcheus and to killing Melissa "Missy" Ward. He is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
A fresh look at the evidence has given Cold Case Investigators new leads in the murders of Sean and Donny Goetcheus. The Goetcheus brothers were found dead in their Rosemont Drive home on January 9, 1997. Sean, 25, was shot in the head as he stood in the kitchen. The killer kicked in a bathroom door and shot 19-year old Donny twice. Investigators believe at least one of the brothers knew their killer(s). Police have followed dozens of leads over the years but the case went cold until recently, when now-District Attorney General Neal Pinkston took a look at the case file. He spent two years investigating this case before creating a Cold Case Unit in his office. "Significant progress has been achieved toward identifying the person and/or persons responsible for these murders," General Pinkston wrote in an email to the governor's office. "I believe an offer of adequate reward money would encourage further witnesses to come forward with information that could help solve these murders. |
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the Goetcheus brothers' killer.
Original Investigating Agency: Chattanooga Police Department
Original Investigating Agency: Chattanooga Police Department
If you have information on this case, please use the form below or call the cold case hotline: 423-209-7470