KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A body recovered this week in North Knoxville has been preliminarily identified as a man who had been missing for nearly two weeks, according to the Knoxville Police Department.
Investigators believe the deceased is 38-year-old Christopher Neely, pending official confirmation by the Regional Forensic Center.
Neely was reported missing on June 11 after he was last seen leaving his job at a Burger King restaurant in the Halls community of Knox County around midnight on June 9.
On June 24, Knoxville Police Department Violent Crimes detectives and Search and Rescue personnel located Neely’s body in a wooded area off Black Oak Ridge Lane near Maynardville Highway in Knoxville.
His body was transported to the Regional Forensic Center, where investigators will work to confirm his identity and determine the cause and manner of death.
The Knoxville Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit is leading the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Neely’s death.
Police said additional information will be released as the investigation progresses.
