Hamilton County District Attorney Neal Pinkston on Wednesday, Dec. 16 sent a letter to Dwight Tarwater, Gov. Bill Haslam’s legal counsel, asking the governor to make available reward money for information leading to the apprehension, arrest, and conviction of the person, or persons, responsible for the murders of Donnie and Sean Goetcheus.
Brothers Sean and Donnie Goetcheus were shot and killed execution-style in their Brainerd home in Jan. 1997. Sean was 25 years old; Donnie was 19. Because almost 18 years has lapsed since the incident, the homicides are considered cold case homicides. Over the last two years, a renewed investigative effort and creation of the District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Unit has uncovered and developed new leads and facts surrounding the homicides.
“Significant progress has been achieved toward identifying the person, or persons, responsible for these murders,” wrote Pinkston. “I believe an offer of adequate reward money would encourage further witnesses to come forward with information that could help solve the murders.”
The murders would be classified as either first degree premeditated murder or first degree felony murder robbery. Under the Tennessee Code Annotated, these crimes are a class above Class A Felonies.
Anyone with information regarding these murders should contact the District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Unit at (423) 209-7470 or at coldcases@hcdatn.org.
Source: Some information from the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office