UPDATE: Police identify man found dead, say murder is likely
The Continuous News Desk
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By The Continuous News Desk
Published: September 8, 2008
UPDATE: 3 P.M. From Bristol Herald Courier Staff Writer Amy Hunter:
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. - Police have identified the man found dead in his Bluff City apartment on Sunday as Arthur T. Burchard, a construction worker who they say was likley murdered some time in the last several days.
Sullivan County Sheriff Wayne Anderson said during a news conference this afternoon that Burchard appeared to have died from stab wounds three or four days before his family reported him missing and Bluff City Police officers found him dead in his apartment.
Investigators would not elaborate on details such as how many times he’d been stabbed and in what circumstances he was discovered.
Anderson did say that investigators found no evidence of a forced entry and nothing seemed to be missing from the apartment on the 4000 block of Bluff City Highway.
Read Tuesday’s Bristol Herald Courier for possible leads police are following.
UPDATE AT 11:09 a.m. from News Channel 11’s Josh Smith and Yasmeen Elayan:
Bluff City Police and the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office will host a news conference at 2 p.m. to update the news media on the death investigation. The news conference will be held at Sheriff’s Office in Blountville, Tennessee.
Look for updates here on News Channel 11 here on TriCities.Com.
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BLUFF CITY, Tenn. – Police are investigating what they call a “suspicious death” after the body of a 41-year-old man was found in an apartment here on Sunday.
Bluff City Police Chief David Nelson said his officers responded to call on the 4000 block of Bluff City Highway shortly before 1 p.m. where they found the body of a man they believe had been dead for three or four days.
Nelson said the call came after a family member contacted the man’s landlord because they had not heard from him in several days. The landlord noticed a “foul smell” outside the man’s apartment and contacted police.
Nelson was tight-lipped on Sunday about details surrounding the death “pending further investigation.” He did not identify the man and would not say under what circumstances he appeared to have died.
However, he said investigators do not believe the death was the result of a suicide.
Nelson said his department contacted Sullivan County Sheriff Wayne Anderson who sent several officers from his Criminal Investigations Division to assist in the investigation.
No further details were released on Sunday.
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( rawhide ) on September 14, 2008 at 7:31 pm
wonder woman welcome we was waiting for you. Oh what a woven web we weive. Have respect to the family and leave your personal agenda out of this. If you want to talk about how people are treating you then heres a quarter call someone who cares. My god have respect.
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Posted by ( wonder woman ) on September 12, 2008 at 10:30 pm
I truly offer my condolence to the family . I also apologize for the other comments made by so called citizens of Bluff City that does not reflect sympathy toward the family as much as it reflects on themselves and their political agenda.
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Posted by ( swampgirl ) on September 09, 2008 at 8:03 pm
My sympathy goes out to the family of this man. I can’t imagine what they are feeling.
I totally agree that we need our police force. It doesn’t need to be cut for any reason. I think some of the ones who don’t like the force are law breakers who don’t want to get caught. Perhaps the police should start giving out more tickets for non seatbeat use and speeding on Main and Cedar streets so we can pay their salaries.I hope someday that the Carrier, Leonard, Dulaney crew gives it up and lets the good people of Bluff City do their job.
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Posted by ( Hometown Girl ) on September 09, 2008 at 9:38 am
The only time there are too many police on staff is when they outnumber the citizens. Otherwise, there never seem to be enough.
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Posted by ( warrior ) on September 08, 2008 at 7:52 pm
In tramatic times we sure learn the importance of our public safety and police! Egos and personal agendas will never outweigh our citizens need for safety in their community. I commend Chief Nelson and his officers for timely and effective service while I strongly reprimand the personally motivated, selfish and underhanded tactics used by Dulaney and company! We must band together and repulse this sickness that festers in our city hall and allow our fellow citizens to truly “work together to help each other”
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Posted by ( bigguy ) on September 08, 2008 at 5:48 pm
The recent murder in Bluff City is a tragic situation. I extend my condolence to the victims family and friends. I can’t believe that anyone would choose to cut our police dept. in such trying times. If Alderman Carrier is actually wanting to cut the police dept., he is an example of poor leadership. In fact, Carrier has always
been an example of poor leadership. The
citizens in Bluff City that support the recall effort are nothing less than selfish in their thinking. The business district in Piney Flats is Bluff City’s major source of revenue.
Since these people get nothing else from Bluff City, they should get their
fair share of police protection.
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Posted by ( Norton ) on September 08, 2008 at 4:18 pm
This man getting murdered proves that
Bluff City is not exempt from any criminal act. Drug dealing and abuse, theft and all criminal acts are on the rise in the Bluff City area just like everywhere else. One alderman named Carrier wants to reduce the police dept. to 5 or 6 officers. This shows Carrier’s mentality. What Leadership !!
The recall leaders also want to cut the police department. Folks, the time has come to rally for our police dept. We have to support Chief Nelson and his officers. All cities have too many police officers until we have an emergency, then we depend on them to provide our safety. Why can’t this group of recall people- including Melvin Carrier- leave Chief Nelson and our police officers alone and let them do their job?? It’s a shame that someones life has to be taken just to prove that Bluff City is not exempt from crime in any form.
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Posted by ( EIEIO ) on September 08, 2008 at 1:35 pm
How right you are BCresident. Could this be Bluff Cities first homicide? This incident happened not very far from where I live. I hope people understands that as the population of Bluff City grows, so will the crime. I think we as residents of Bluff City have already seen the crimes taking place with this ignorant recall vote. I have heard form very reliable sources that fraud has taken place in getting people to sign the petitions. Now there is some crimes that need to be investigated. And now Melvin wants to cut the police force in half so he can have his precious Christmas ham and to keep Bogg Hogg…..oops, I’m sorry, Ms. Judy, on the payroll at $70,000.00 year. Only heaven knows the crime that takes place in this small city. I am sure that meth use and dealing is rising. And they want to cut the police force. The concerned citizens of Bluff City must rally around Chief Nelson and the officers and give them our complete support. He cares about this city and is not their just to leach off of taxpayer money like a “few” at city hall. I give him my full support. It is tragic what happened to this man. Maybe it will wakeup a few from their slumber and realize that this is not 1950’s Bluff City and that the city limits has reached beyond Main Street and Cedar Street.
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Posted by ( BCResident ) on September 08, 2008 at 11:19 am
Even more of a reason to cut Police Officers just to keep Dulaney’s salary! Hope that makes you feel better about yourself. Idiots.
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