Found Deceased TN - Blake Smith, 20, Knoxville, 3 Feb 2018

[rsd1200]

What are ICE numbers? Sorry, it's probably something easy, but all I can think of are the immigration people, lol (I think I need more coffee).

You put ICE in front of an important contact name on your phone, ICE mean "in case of emergency". I have some health issues so I put those on there for 1st responders.

eta: Never thought "ICE", ICE. O.O I might end up somewhere I don't want to be.

 

[perfectingpink]

Yes, the Sheriff's page. But the comment is gone now. Am I allowed to copy it here?

No, we are not allowed to copy and paste the comment. Also, we really aren't supposed to say specifically what commenters say but we can direct to the quote by stating something like, "Interesting comment by JA".

 

[rsd1200]

It basically said "Follow the money" and that the latest rumor suggests some type of involvement with a college employee, and that a cover-up might be going on.

Bs involvement w/an employee?

 

[eucalyptuz]

Re deleted comment on Blount County Sheriff's office FB page:
A person commented with a recent rumor to "follow the money" and that there was a college employee involved and cover-up in motion.
This must be viewed as SM rumor/speculation as anyone can comment on a FB page. The person making the comment seemed to have no connection to the town, the family or the college. I am only posting this summary because often SM rumors have the effect of getting a thread closed down even though it is the kind of theory any of us could have come up with.

 

[Gardener1850]

Maybe it helped a little but the car would have been found at the construction site Monday morning. I'm sorry if I'm not a fan of these things. I had nanny software on our home computer when the kids were in school. After they left home, I can get in contact with them by text or messenger. I'm just a bit weirded out by someone being able to check my whereabouts anytime they wish. I know that folks have them, as I said, my cousin uses them on her under age kids, but I don't want folks checking in on me like I'm a child nor would I want to do so to my adult children. I think maybe it's my culture or something. We don't get into each other's business like that.

I guess it's all in how you view the purpose of it when you agree to use it. Yes, I think we all bring our own cultural and personal experiences. My experience reading on WS has sure made me consider getting this app. I just never would want to be a Jane Doe somewhere. JMO.

 

[Gardener1850]

You put ICE in front of an important contact name on your phone, ICE mean "in case of emergency". I have some health issues so I put those on there for 1st responders.

eta: Never thought "ICE", ICE. O.O I might end up somewhere I don't want to be.

Ohhh! :facepalm: I've never heard of that. My phone is always locked so that wouldn't do them any good.

And, sorry, I think we are getting too far off topic.

Back to Blake, I really question if this was an accident but I can't see anything that would point to suicide either. JMO. It sort of reminds me of the Tosha Herron case. She crashed her car in the mountains and got out and walked far enough that her body wasn't found for 6 months. There was very little blood. Her family was sure someone had either taken her or she was walking around not knowing who she was. If Blake crashed or got his car stuck in the mud by accident, I wonder if he might have tried to use the cinder block to get the car out by himself. Put the cinder block on the gas pedal and push while the wheels spin in the mud? IDK, just something I think a kid might come up with if trying to get a car out of mud on their own.

 

[Gardener1850]

I noticed this pic of a rescue team on the Sherrif's page. It appears to be in that area. If so, the water is not that deep but I guess it could have been in the place near he went in. (or I really need glasses). Could he have been intoxicated, fell in, and drowned? Unconscious and placed in there, and drowned? Fell and struck his head, and drowned?

The water looks really murky.

 

[LadyO]

I grew up semi-local to this area, and moved back to the area last year. My DH works just a couple miles from Admiral Farragut Park. It's so very sad, Blake seemed like such a nice young man. Just my opinion, but what makes the most sense to me here is a suicide staged to look like a crime. I think it's likely he met someone at the park (it does have a reputation for certain activities , but beyond that I won't speculate), but he was on his own at the second location. Just mho.
I could see how the family would want to spread the word that it was an accident, even if they know that isnt the actual cause. Wouldn't be the first time that's been done in this area, to spare reputations of reputable young men and women and their families.

 

[eucalyptuz]

Update from Blount CountySO in last hour...bbm

February 7, 2018

MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE – Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong wants to reassure citizens that Sheriff’s investigators are actively working the case involving the death of Blake Smith and following up on all leads.

Tuesday, the Knox County Regional Forensic Center released the preliminary results of their autopsy on Smith. Medical examiners determined the preliminary cause of death as hypothermia/drowning, and his death appears to be accidental. This is not the final autopsy report. We are awaiting results of the toxicology test.

If anyone has any information about Blake Smith and his whereabouts between Saturday afternoon at around 2 p.m. and early Monday afternoon, please call the Sheriff’s Office Investigations Unit during normal business hours at (865) 273-5001. You may also call the 24 hour anonymous Crime Hotline at (865)273-5200, or leave a tip on the Text-a-Tip link at www.bcso.com.

https://www.facebook.com/Blount-County-Sheriffs-Office-585300914895354/

 

[rsd1200]

I guess it's all in how you view the purpose of it when you agree to use it. Yes, I think we all bring our own cultural and personal experiences. My experience reading on WS has sure made me consider getting this app. I just never would want to be a Jane Doe somewhere. JMO.

If I've got my phone and don't have time to call 911, or reach for my firearm, being a Jane Doe isn't gonna matter much. I'm deceased, either way. Working in the tech world, for so many years, has only caused me not to be drawn toward these types of gimmicks. Along with the fact that I'm an adult, well over 18 y.o. If ya'll want them? More power to ya. Peace.

 

[rsd1200]

Ohhh! :facepalm: I've never heard of that. My phone is always locked so that wouldn't do them any good.

And, sorry, I think we are getting too far off topic.

Back to Blake, I really question if this was an accident but I can't see anything that would point to suicide either. JMO. It sort of reminds me of the Tosha Herron case. She crashed her car in the mountains and got out and walked far enough that her body wasn't found for 6 months. There was very little blood. Her family was sure someone had either taken her or she was walking around not knowing who she was. If Blake crashed or got his car stuck in the mud by accident, I wonder if he might have tried to use the cinder block to get the car out by himself. Put the cinder block on the gas pedal and push while the wheels spin in the mud? IDK, just something I think a kid might come up with if trying to get a car out of mud on their own.

This was one of my early theories. The car lurched backwards, he stumbles and falls, possibly hits his head even, loses his shoe, and his necklace, and in wandering around to find them, in the dark, stumbles off the edge, and into the water. We have folks fall of the Gorge all the time around here. They misjudge the distance, hopping to another stone, and there they go. They are usually folks who aren't familiar with the Gorge. It has huge drops. BS may not have been familiar with that area and was just out driving and got stuck, and it got dark. My fil was trying to move his mower over something it was stuck on, and instead of going forward, as he'd planned, it lurched backward, and on top of him. He had turned the blades off thank goodness, but it fractured both legs as it went over, and then rested on, him. He was able to get his cell out of his pocket to call 911.

 

[Dalebecky1]

I grew up semi-local to this area, and moved back to the area last year. My DH works just a couple miles from Admiral Farragut Park. It's so very sad, Blake seemed like such a nice young man. Just my opinion, but what makes the most sense to me here is a suicide staged to look like a crime. I think it's likely he met someone at the park (it does have a reputation for certain activities , but beyond that I won't speculate), but he was on his own at the second location. Just mho.
I could see how the family would want to spread the word that it was an accident, even if they know that isnt the actual cause. Wouldn't be the first time that's been done in this area, to spare reputations of reputable young men and women and their families.

His scent wasn't found outside of his car at the scene. It was however found at the park where he took the instagram picture.

 

[Gardener1850]

I wonder if that house where his car was found could be a place he was familiar with due to his lawn care job? I hope the police are talking to his coworkers/employer. JMO.

 

[rsd1200]

The water looks really murky.

It's very murky so hard to ascertain a true depth. I've been looking for depth charts but no success yet. If he fell down the bank, and hit that cold water, out of breath, he could have just swallowed a bunch and drowned. Looks as if he'd landed on the bank area though, although this is likely not the spot he would have gone into the water.

 

[rsd1200]

His scent wasn't found outside of his car at the scene. It was however found at the park where he took the instagram picture.

I keep forgetting that. That lends to my other theory that someone tried to put the car in reverse, and sail it over the bank, but that doesn't work so well as folks think. They then got it stuck and moved his body on their own.

 

[Gardener1850]

His scent wasn't found outside of his car at the scene. It was however found at the park where he took the instagram picture.

Has anyone seen them specify which kind of dogs were used for the searches?

 

[eucalyptuz]

Does anybody know of a case where LE has intentionally misinformed the public re manner of death? Even though there has now been some back-peddling on the SO's FB page, they did put it out there, despite so many conflicting pieces of evidence, that the death appeared accidental. Could this have been an LE strategy to flush out a perp...?!? I can't think of a case where this has actually happened. I can think of cases where incorrect information has been released, but not COD, MOD type stuff, more like mis-quoting witnesses.
In this case it seems the back-peddling by the SO has come as a result of public outcry, including the family's.

 

[LadyO]

His scent wasn't found outside of his car at the scene. It was however found at the park where he took the instagram picture.

Hmmm, interesting. So you're thinking there was foul play at the park and he was moved then? It's not a very secluded place so I'm not sure about violent foul play, but it would make sense if the cause of death was accidental drug overdose or something.

 

[eucalyptuz]

Anybody want to chime in with their "Occam's razor" interpretation of everything we know so far?

 

[rsd1200]

Does anybody know of a case where LE has intentionally misinformed the public re manner of death? Even though there has now been some back-peddling on the SO's FB page, they did put it out there, despite so many conflicting pieces of evidence, that the death appeared accidental. Could this have been an LE strategy to flush out a perp...?!? I can't think of a case where this has actually happened. I can think of cases where incorrect information has been released, but not COD, MOD type stuff, more like mis-quoting witnesses.
In this case it seems the back-peddling by the SO has come as a result of public outcry, including the family's.

They did say, that it "appeared" to be accidental. I've seen this in another case, however, in the end, it was truly a freak accident, caused by alcohol intoxication. The Kennika Johnson case. She accidentally went into a functioning, but empty, hotel freezer, while intoxicated, and died from hypothermia. It appeared she thought it was an exit. There was an outcry, so they continued to investigate, but it turned out to be just what it was. A horrible accident.