How is a Monster Made?

On an unusually cool summer night, my friends and I gathered around the room on tan cotton couches and initiated a discussion. One of them was a counselor at a prison and mentioned a case that he had been involved with that garnered a lot of attention.

He told the group that the perpetrator was infamous where he worked and that he was the only one willing to do his intake interview. He described the man as "friendly," "one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet."

We pestered him to continue, to tell us what he had done. But he wouldn't go on. He suggested we watch a documentary over it, and no one protested. Then, as the opening credits started to roll, he turned to the group and said, "I'm warning you, it's dark."

The Disturbing Case of Joel Guy Junior

Joel and Lisa Guy built a life together in Knoxville, Tennessee. Joel senior was a pipeline engineer, and Lisa worked in Human Resources as an accounts payable administrator. Joel had three daughters from a previous marriage; he had been married twice before Lisa to the same woman.

In 1988 the two welcomed a baby boy named Joel Micheal Guy Jr. Joel Jr. went to high school at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts in Natchitoches and graduated in 2006. He later went on to attend Lousiana State University and planned on becoming a plastic surgeon.

At 28, Joel Jr. had never worked and instead relied on his parents to support him while living in Lousiana as a student. Lisa Guy worked full time, and most of her paycheck went to her son. They paid for his insurance, food, living expenses, and whatever else he needed.

His parents were fine supporting their son, possibly with the hope that once he graduated, he would become self-sustaining. It wasn’t until the two reached retirement age and had plans to move to Joel senior’s old stomping grounds, Surgoinsville, Tennesse, that they decided to cut him off. The couple had just enough to retire happily and couldn't afford to maintain Joel Jr.'s lifestyle as well.

"[Our dad] said that Joel Michael was gonna be cut off and was gonna have to stand on his own two feet... Lisa agreed."

-testified Angela Crane, Guy Jr.'s half-sister.

The Guys gave Joel several months to plan for his coming independence, and in the meantime, life continued as usual.

Guy Thanksgiving of 2016

Joel and Lisa Guy kept their son's room just as he had left it, with childhood pictures on display and his toys still in the box he'd last left them. But he rarely visited the residence and hardly made an appearance during the holidays.

In late November of 2016, Joel Jr. actually attended the Thanksgiving celebration at his parent's house and stayed in his old room. While there, his sisters later noted that he was more talkative and open with the family than usual.

They stated that he usually was very reserved if he even came out of his room. However, on this occasion, he was offering his toys to his sister's children.

"I don't think he ever knew my kid's names."

-Guy Jr.'s half-sister

November 7th

As Early as 17 Days before attending his parent's party, Joel Jr. is seen on camera purchasing supplies for what seemed to be a big job.

On the 7th, he visited Ace Hardware and purchased several chemicals, including muriatic acid and food-grade hydrogen peroxide.

November 18th

Joel Jr. is seen at Home Depot on the 18th, buying a bleach sprayer, a timer, and extension cords. When purchasing, he uses cash and almost always utilizes self-checkout.

November 19th

On the 19th Joel Jr. is caught on camera purchasing a marine-style Ka-Bar knife from Academy Sports.

November 21st, he visits the Knoxville Walmart and buys two large plastic bins.

November 26th, 27th

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Lisa Guy's supervisor Jennifer Whited, could not get ahold of her. Lisa did not show up for her shift or her going away party, which was unlike her. After calling several times, Whited contacts the police and requests a welfare check be conducted.

When Knox County officers Steven Ballard and Jeremy McCord arrived at the Guy home, they noticed that the real-estate lock was missing from the front door. (The Guys had recently sold their home in preparation for retirement).

The officers observed that the knob on the front door didn't match the deadbolt lock and circled to the back to investigate. Upon approaching the backdoor, groceries, including perishables, could be seen on the floor in the foyer of the home. Officers also noted that the back doorknob had been removed and placed on the front.

Through the hole in the backdoor, officers could sense heat emanating from the inside, along with a strange odor.

Given the perishable groceries, unusual condition of the locks, and the smell, officers decided to enter the home to ensure no one needed help. They gained access through a garage door opener found in one of the Guy's unlocked cars.

Bodycam footage captured law enforcement entering the home, immediately coming across a table with a wallet and sledgehammer. On an adjacent table, there were guns lined up next to one another.

Across from the table in the kitchen, a large metal pot sits on the stove, simmering. A dog can be heard from somewhere in the upstairs portion of the home. Officers continue to navigate the house finding bloodstains on the stairs; as they reached the second floor, they discover the severed hands of Joel senior by looking down a hallway.

Within a bathroom, police find two large plastic bins filled with a chemical solution. Floating inside each one is the dismembered corpses of Joel and Lisa Guy. The Forensic team then works throughout the night to process the scene and begin to discover what happened.

While investigating, law enforcement finds more supplies throughout the upstairs, including a bag of baking soda, sewer line cleaner, Liquid Fire, muriatic acid, drain opener, lye, food-grade peroxide, bleach, and a bleach sprayer.

Within Joel Jr.'s childhood bedroom, they find a red backpack leaning against the wall; inside are several books with his name in the sleeve and a notebook.

The Notebook

Inside the journal found in Joel Jr's backpack are detailed notes outlining his intent to kill his parents. The journal served as a fully comprehensive plan, from supplies to strategy. The book would later be dubbed in the trial as a "premeditation book."

Joel wrote things like:

"get killing knives- quiet-multiple pieces." "Get sledgehammer-crush bones."

"He's not alive to claim half of the life insurance-all mine (500,000)."

A motive begins to appear for law enforcement. Joel Guy Jr. stood to inherit his mother's life insurance money. He planned to murder them both and make it look as if his father had done it. Afterward, he intended on flooding the house to cover up forensic evidence. He hadn't had the time to finish his cleanup or disposal process before his mother's boss requested the welfare check.

What Really Happened November, 26th 2016?

Around 11 am Lisa Guy leaves the family home to go grocery shopping. Joel Guy heads to the exercise room, where his son attacks him with a knife. The two struggled for control, tearing the blinds down and flipping over the Bowflex workout machine.

Joel Jr. got the better of the exchange and stabbed his father over thirty times before cutting his clothes from his body. Police later would find his bloodied pack of cigarettes on top of his clothes pile.

Meanwhile, Lisa Guy is seen on camera checking out with her groceries around noon. She comes home, drops her groceries off in the foyer, and then heads upstairs. Joel Jr. meets her at the top of the staircase and attacks her with a knife. As a result, nine of her ribs are severed. Afterward, he cuts her clothes off as well and leaves them near the sewer line cleaner.

Joel Jr. viciously dismembers the bodies of his loving parents. Leaving his father's hands in the hallway and severing his mother's head. He then places the head in a large metal pot and sets it on the stove to simmer. Both victims also had their arms and legs removed to fit the corpses in the chemical solution.

Joel Jr. planned every step of his parent's demise, even inflicting a wound after death so that the chemicals would seep into the body's central cavity and speed the decomposition process. He also cranks up the heat and then leaves to Baton Rouge to have the wounds on his hands (inflicted during the struggle with his father) looked at.

The Arrest

Joel Jr. was free for two more days following the crime but was unknowingly under police surveillance. Law enforcement arrested him while leaving his apartment to get in his vehicle.

While the credits on the documentary rolled, I turned to my friend and asked him how his interview had gone, "was he candid?"

He smiled and replied that they talked about everything under the sun and bonded over Lousiana culture. I pushed him to go on, "well, except his crimes...he was appealing the verdict, and his lawyers advised him not to talk about it."

Somehow the ending felt unfinished, but there was nothing anyone could do to add closure. So we sat in silence for a while.

Trial

Joel Jr. pleaded not guilty, and the case went to trial in October of 2020. His defense presented no evidence on his behalf. In the closing statement, his lawyer, John Halstead, argued that his family described him as "friendly and outgoing" he continued by saying that someone with those traits would never do what Joel Guy Jr. was accused of.

The defense later filed a motion to be given the death penalty if convicted; the judge denied this. After a four-day, trial Guy was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

Parting Words

When we see rage and brutality in people, it's usually a result of abuse. Joel Jr. came from a happy home with two parents that loved and supported him at every turn. He had potential and opportunity but let greed succumb him. So without a reason or catalyst for pure evil, how could something like this happen? Is a monster made? Or are they born?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for reading! Had you heard this case before? I had to take breaks writing this from being so horrified. If you enjoyed drop a like, it really helps me out.

Talk to you soon,

RJ.

Love Vocal and want to participate in challenges like these? Sign up here and start monetizing your craft :).