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One of Tennessee’s most wanted fugitives has been captured in connection with the death of a man whose remains were discovered in a freezer on a remote 17-acre property.
Jim Chambers, 37, was arrested in Louisiana following the death of Edward Elliott, 64, according to a news release from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
Chambers was sought by the Carter County Sheriff’s Office and TBI for charges including first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence.
The case began when police initiated a missing persons investigation on March 31.
Elliott was last seen in the Roan Mountain area in late January or early February, according to a missing persons poster.
A family member reported the 5-foot-10, 250-pound man missing around that time.
Elliott, who had a medical condition that could hinder his ability to return safely without help, was last seen wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt with cut-off sleeves.
On May 15, authorities, acting on a tip, searched a property at 125 Mike Clawson Road in Hampton.
A cadaver dog detected the scent of decomposition, leading officers to a freezer buried in the ground containing Elliott’s remains.
“A box was exhumed, and a human body was found in that small freezer,” Carter County Sheriff Mike Fraley announced at a news conference.
An affidavit cited by local CBS/ABC affiliate WJHL mentioned a witness who saw two men "violently kicking" Elliott as he pleaded for them to stop in January or February.
The first suspect was identified and arrested soon after Elliott's body was found.
Chambers was subsequently placed on Tennessee’s most wanted fugitive list and was located in Louisiana with assistance from the FBI New Orleans Office, the Louisiana State Police, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Chambers is expected to be extradited from Louisiana to Carter County. The second suspect is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 5.
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