DESHEENA KYLE: Tennessee vs. John Bassett for 2021 murder of ex-girlfriend *GUILTY**

Investigators believe missing Knoxville woman could be in danger

Police asking for help finding missing Knoxville woman

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Investigators believe missing Knoxville woman could be in danger​

The Knoxville Police Department is requesting the public’s help locating missing 26-year-old Desheena Kyle.

Police say they have reason to believe that Kyle, who was reported as missing on June 28 and has not been seen or heard from since June 23, could be in danger.

According to KPD, Kyle was reported missing from Wilson Road on June 28. Investigators said they have strong reason to believe that she could be in danger. She was last seen some time around June 23 and the last verified sighting was on June 18.

'We are not going to leave a stone unturned' | Family and community continues search for Desheena Kyle

The Knoxville Police Department said they have reason to believe that Desheena Kyle could be in danger.

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'We are not going to leave a stone unturned' | Family and community continues search for Desheena Kyle​

A Knoxville family is desperately searching for a loved one, 26-year-old Desheena Kyle. She has been missing for more than a week, after officials said she was last seen on June 23.

"We are asking desperately from the public, anybody who knows anything, to come forward and we would be very happy," said Mary Warren, a victim's advocate.


MEDIA - DESHEENA KYLE: Missing from Knoxville, TN since 18 June 2021 - Age 25

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Police fear missing 26-year-old Desheena Kyle was harmed, family offers $10,000 reward for information

Police said she went missing from Wilson Road and that her last verified sighting was June 18. Investigators said they now have reason to believe she was harmed.

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Family prays for Desheena Kyle's safe return, offers $10,000 reward for information​

It's been almost two weeks since a 26-year-old Knoxville woman was heard from or seen.

Knoxville Police said Desheena Kyle went missing from Wilson Road and that her last verified sighting was June 18.

Investigators have strong reason to believe she could be in danger.

The family is offering a $10,000 reward for information.

June 25 was Kyle's 26th birthday. It also marked the first time her family hadn't heard from her.

"This is the first time since she's been born that I haven't talked to her on her birthday," said Turner-Deas.

Kyle's aunt, Rita Turner, said she tried numerous times that day to make contact, but came up short.

She said friends say they last spoke to Kyle two days before her birthday, while KPD confirms the last verified sighting was days before that.

"What we do know is that this is so unlike her. We know that she's either in a ton of distress or she's in danger," said Turner.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Police search home of man who dated missing Knoxville woman, family says, but he wasn't there

After not hearing from Desheena Kyle on her 27th birthday in late June, family members grew worried.

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Police search home of man who dated missing Knoxville woman, family says, but he wasn't there​

Police searched the home of a man who had been dating a missing 27-year-old Knoxville woman, the woman's family members said Wednesday.

Police tweeted at about 5:20 p.m. that the person they were looking for was not found in the home. Crisis negotiators were outside the home for about two hours.

The development comes two days after Desheena Kyle's friends and family members held a vigil to urge police to focus on the case.

Rita Turner, who is the aunt of Desheena Kyle, said police told the family Wednesday that officers planned to execute an arrest warrant at the home of the man Kyle had been dating off and on.

Later Wednesday afternoon, officers and crisis negotiators converged at a residence in the 2100 block of Ohio Avenue in the Lonsdale neighborhood. Police tweeted they thought the subject of the warrant was inside the home and that the person was "known to be armed."

“We are just hoping that if we find Desheena, she is safe,” Turner told Knox News.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Family of missing Knoxville woman said ex-boyfriend had been stalking her before she disappeared

One of Desheena Kyle's family members told 10News her ex-boyfriend, who was accused of assaulting her in the past, had been stalking her before she disappeared.

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Family of missing Knoxville woman said ex-boyfriend had been stalking her before she disappeared​

A man arrested Wednesday after police crisis negotiators responded to his home in Northwest Knoxville has previously been charged with assaulting a Knoxville woman now missing nearly a month.

On Wednesday, the Knoxville Police Department said it arrested 28-year-old John Bassett on a felony charge for violating probation by possessing cocaine with the intent to sell or deliver it.

KPD sent in crisis negotiators and several officers to serve the warrant at his home on 2127 Ohio Avenue Wednesday afternoon, but did not find him there. Police found him later that evening and took him into custody.

Bassett has a lengthy arrest record, tied mostly to drugs.

Court records also show Bassett was previously charged with domestic assault against a missing woman, Desheena Kyle, in 2014. At the time, the two were in a relationship.

Investigators said the last verified sighting of Kyle, 26, was on June 18 on Wilson Road in North Knoxville. One of Kyle's family members told 10News Bassett had been stalking her before her disappearance.


Police said Desheena Kyle disappeared from Wilson Road and that her last verified sighting was on June 18.

Investigators said they have a strong reason to believe she could be in danger but have not said if they suspect Bassett is tied to her disappearance.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Knoxville man with link to missing woman arrested following police search

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Desheena Kyle, 26, has been missing for nearly a month and Knoxville Police say that they believe she could be in danger. On Wednesday, KPD had several units at the scene …

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Knoxville man with link to missing woman arrested following police search​

Desheena Kyle, 26, has been missing for nearly a month and Knoxville Police say that they believe she could be in danger. On Wednesday, KPD had several units at the scene of her former boyfriend, John Bassett, to serve an arrest warrant.

According to police records, Bassett, 28, had dated Kyle in the past. He was arrested Wednesday night on a warrant and court records show he is being held in jail on several drug charges. Arrest records indicate Bassett was arrested on a felony charge of possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine; which was also listed as a violation of probation.

According to court records from July 2014, Bassett and Kyle got into a physical fight and he hit her at the home that was searched on Wednesday. Bassett reportedly hit her in the side of the head as she tried to leave the home, and when she tried to take off in a car, Bassett allegedly hit the window of her car with a rock and broke it causing her more injury. He was arrested for the incident but charges were later dropped.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Police fear missing 26-year-old Desheena Kyle was harmed, family offers $10,000 reward for information

Police said she went missing from Wilson Road and that her last verified sighting was June 18. Investigators said they now have reason to believe she was harmed.

www.wbir.com

Police fear missing 26-year-old Desheena Kyle was harmed, family offers $10,000 reward for information​

It's been nearly a month since a 26-year-old Knoxville woman was heard from or seen.

Knoxville Police said Desheena Kyle went missing from Wilson Road and that her last verified sighting was June 18.

Investigators have strong reason to believe she could be in danger and has been harmed. However, her whereabouts remain unknown and the investigation into her disappearance is ongoing.


Kyle's family is grieving.

"We never though it would happen to us but we're living in it right now and it's a total nightmare," said Turner-Deas. "My whole soul is broken, I need to find out where she is. Does someone have her? Is she ok? Is she not okay?"

"Please give us info on Desheena, please. We love her so much, words can't describe how much we love her," said Turner-Deas.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

KPD: Disappearance of Desheena Kyle, missing since late June, now treated as possible homicide

Kyle's family said they are desperate for answers.

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Nearly a month after Desheena Kyle disappears, her family is crying out to get her home​

A Knoxville family is crying out for help after their loved one disappeared more than a month ago. The Knoxville Police Department said Desheena Kyle, 26, could be in danger and they're asking for the public's help to find her.

"We're begging y'all, please help us with this," said Betty Deas, her grandmother. "We can't do it by ourselves. If you know where she is or know what happened to her, please let us know."

She said that she still feels here absence every day, weeks after they last heard from her.

"This has taken everything in me, out of me," she said. "I summed it up before — my soul feels like it's damaged."

She said that she misses everything about Kyle and said she wishes they could do more together. She said she looks at her granddaughter's picture and feels helpless because she can't find her. So, she is joining the police's call for anyone with information about her disappearance to reach out.

"We know that somebody saw something. Somebody knows something," she said. "She's my heart, she knows she should be able to call me."

Just weeks ago, Kyle would have been home and was only a phone call away. Now, more than five units from KPD are working on the case to find her, including the major crimes unit.

 

[Kimster]

I wish I could help her family. I’m sure glad they were able to arrest Bassett, however. He is a danger to women!

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Three months after her disappearance, Desheena Kyle's family demands more action to find her

Around three months later, and Desheena Kyle's family feels as though they're still at square one, wondering why more hasn't been done by city authorities.

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Three months after her disappearance, Desheena Kyle's family demands more action to find her​

It has been more than three months since Desheena Kyle's family last saw her. In this time, they are still finding themselves in square one, pleading for her safe return.

"I'm begging and pleading for the city of Knoxville to step up and use the resources that you have to employ more people to come and search for my niece" said her aunt Rita Turner.

"We see these efforts Summer Wells, we see the efforts with Gabby Petito... why isn't that happening for the Desheena? She deserves the same efforts," her aunt said.


So far, not a trace has been found after Kyle disappeared in her own backyard.

"I think it's a good opportunity for family to realize that people are listening and that they do care. I just wish there was more buy-in with all cases that happen like this," said Todd Matthews, the former director of the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.

Kyle's family isn't waiting around, though. They are now putting their own boots on the ground to search for her -- with help from the community.

"Our family and the community will be moving forward with our own search efforts to locate the Desheena," Turner said.

They are also relying on community organizations to help spread the word and participate in the search.

"I don't know what was more important than that she's human...we are, you know, mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers. You know, if it happened to us, we would want all eyes, all hands on deck," said Aabidah Ruhi, a lieutenant with Protect Our People in Tennessee, or POP Tenn.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Knoxville Police treating Desheena Kyle disappearance as possible homicide

The Knoxville Police Department is now investigating the disappearance of 26-year-old Desheena Kyle, who has not been seen in over three months, as a possible homicide and have identified a person …

www.wate.com

Knoxville Police treating Desheena Kyle disappearance as possible homicide​

The Knoxville Police Department is investigating the disappearance of 26-year-old Desheena Kyle, who has not been seen in over three months, as a possible homicide and have identified a person of interest in the case.

The case is now being treated and investigated as a possible homicide based on the lack of sightings, a prolonged period without contact with friends or family and the cumulative evidence.

Police say 29-year-old John Bassett is considered a person of interest in the case. Bassett, who was previously in a relationship with Desheena, was arrested on drug and weapon charges at his residence on Ohio Avenue on July 7 and remains in custody.

Bassett has not been charged in relation to the Desheena Kyle case.

“The KPD has never tired on this case and will continue to work vigorously to find Desheena,” Chief of Police Eve Thomas said. “We have developed significant leads and made substantial progress on this case. We have also received numerous tips on the case, and we know that there are people still out there who have answers. We ask anyone who has information that could assist investigators to please come forward.”

“I cannot fathom the intense emotions and grief that Desheena’s family has experienced over the past three months,” Thomas added. “We are in complete support of the family’s efforts to find Desheena and involve the community in those efforts to bring Desheena home.”

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Missing DeSheena Kyle found dead

The body was found on Sam Tillery Road during the search for the missing 26-year-old.

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Search for Desheena Kyle leads to discovery of unidentified body​

Through leads developed as part of the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Desheena Kyle, officers with the Knoxville Police Department found a body at a residence in the 6900 block of Sam Tillery Road.

The body was transported to the Regional Forensic Center for a full autopsy and for identification.

The family of Desheena Kyle has been notified that a development has been made in the case, according to officials with the Knoxville Police Department.

Desheena Kyle investigation leads police to body in North Knoxville, identity unknown

The investigation into the disappearance of a missing Knoxville woman led to the discovery of a body Tuesday night in North Knoxville. According to the Knoxville Police Department, a body was found…

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Desheena Kyle investigation leads police to body in North Knoxville, identity unknown​

“The identity of the deceased has not yet been confirmed,” the department said in a release. “The body was transported to the Regional Forensic Center for a full autopsy and identification.”

The department said its investigation into Kyle’s disappearance is continuing.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Police identify body found as Desheena Kyle

The body found Tuesday in North Knoxville has been identified as Desheena Kyle, a 26-year-old woman who has been missing since June, and her death has been ruled a homicide.

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Police identify body found as Desheena Kyle​

The body found Tuesday in North Knoxville has been identified as Desheena Kyle, a 26-year-old woman who has been missing since June, and her death has been ruled a homicide.

Kyle was reported missing in June and the investigation into her disappearance led investigators to the discovery of human remains at a residence on Sam Tillery Road on Sept. 28. Forensic pathologists at the Regional Forensic Center confirmed on Thursday morning that it was Kyle’s body.

Charges have not yet been filed in relation to her death. Police previously identified 29-year-old John Bassett, who had previously been in a relationship with Kyle, as a person of interest in the investigation, as a person of interest in the case.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Ex-boyfriend of Desheena Kyle indicted on first-degree murder charge

John Bassett, the ex-boyfriend of Desheena Kyle, has been indicted on a first degree murder charge after Kyle’s body was found in North Knoxville on Sept. 28, according to the Knoxville Polic…

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Ex-boyfriend of Desheena Kyle indicted on first-degree murder charge​

John Bassett, the ex-boyfriend of Desheena Kyle, has been indicted on a first degree murder charge after Kyle’s body was found in North Knoxville on Sept. 28, according to the Knoxville Police Department.

Knoxville Police say Bassett, 29, has been indicted by a Knox County Grand Jury for the murder of Desheena Kyle along with charges of abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. Police say he’s been in custody since July 7 following an arrest on an outstanding warrant for violation of probation.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Prosecutors will seek life without parole for man accused of killing Desheena Kyle

Knox County prosecutors say they intends to seek life without possibility of parole, a move that disappointed Kyle's family

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Prosecutors will seek life without parole for man accused of killing Desheena Kyle​

Prosecutors have opted against seeking the death penalty against John Bassett Jr., the Knoxville man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend last year.

Desheena Kyle's body was found in an abandoned house on Sam Tillery Road in September, months after she had been reported missing by her family.

Bassett, 29, who is described by Kyle's family as an ex-boyfriend, faces charges of first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. He remains in custody on a $500,000 bond.

In Criminal Court on Friday, Knox County Assistant District Attorney General Nathaniel Ogle said prosecutors intend to seek life without possibility of parole.

"We wanted the death penalty," said Kyle's aunt, Rita Turner. "We pushed for it and advocated for that. The district attorney told us that there were a couple more components they needed to justify in order to to pursue that."

In the court filing, Ogle noted "the murder was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel, in that it involved torture or serious physical abuse beyond that necessary to produce death."


Bassett's trial is scheduled to start Oct. 10 and is expected to last four days.

"We feel like justice is on its way to being served and that they have the evidence to convict him," Turner said after Friday's hearing. "He is where he needs to be, knowing he will never see the light of day again. The pain in this is that we will never get Desheena back, but this is a step in the right direction."

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Records: Ex-boyfriend accused of putting victim's remains in toolbox, hiding it under abandoned house

John Bassett is set to stand trial Monday in Desheena Kyle's murder.

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Records: Ex-boyfriend accused of putting victim's remains in toolbox, hiding it under abandoned house​

Court documents shed new light on what happened to a Knoxville homicide victim as her former boyfriend fights a bid to be put away for life with no chance at parole in the case.

Desheena Kyle's killer put her remains in a toolbox the summer of 2021 and hid it in the crawl space of an abandoned house at 6969 Sam Tillery Road, records show. She'd been shot in the head.

The 26-year-old Kyle's autopsy has been under seal 18 months. The Knoxville Police Department released few details about how she died after her remains were discovered.

John Bassett, 30, is charged with her murder in Knox County Criminal Court. He's also accused of abusing her corpse.

Bassett is set to go on trial Monday.

If Bassett is convicted of first-degree murder as charged, Knox County prosecutors will ask the jury to send him to prison for the rest of his life with no shot at parole.
In seeking the enhanced punishment, they say Kyle's killing was especially cruel and that Bassett mutilated her body after she died.

Defense attorney Joshua Hedrick is fighting the bid. The victim was shot once, he argues, and that's it.

"While a tragic event, there is no proof or indication of any torture or serious physical abuse," Hedrick wrote in a motion set to be considered as soon as Friday by Criminal Court Judge Scott Green. "There is no evidence which separates this offense from an 'ordinary' shooting homicide. Lacking such evidence, the application of this aggravating factor becomes arbitrary and impermissible."

Hedrick also argues there's no evidence Bassett knowingly mutilated his ex-girlfriend.

Authorities allege Bassett had repeatedly threatened and hurt her during their relationship. He'd chased her with a knife, hit her in fights and tried to strangle her, according to court records.

"Several of these acts were witnessed on one of the last days Ms. Kyle was seen alive," a motion by the prosecution states.
Hedrick counters that Kyle also hurt Bassett.

At trial, the attorney said he plans to offer evidence that she'd been violent toward Bassett, destroyed his personal property and had "an inability to let Mr. Bassett leave his relationship with her," a motion filed last week states.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Jury selection to start Tuesday for Knoxville man accused of murdering Desheena Kyle in 2021

Jury selection starts tomorrow for a Knoxville man accused of murdering his ex- girlfriend and hiding her body in a toolbox.

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[Summer_Breeze]

John Bassett guilty in death of Desheena Kyle, a Knoxville woman who went missing for weeks

Desheena Kyle had been missing for months before her body was found in an abandoned Knoxville house and her ex-boyfriend was arrested in her murder.

www.knoxnews.com

Liz Kellar
Knoxville News Sentinel
May 17, 2023

Desheena Kyle had been missing for months before her body was found in an abandoned Knoxville house and her ex-boyfriend was arrested in her murder.

Now, nearly two years later, John Bassett has been found guilty of first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. The jury returned its verdict after a six-day-long trial in Knox County Criminal Court.

He had pleaded guilty to tampering before the trial started.