CCSO offering reward for information in homicide investigation

Published 1:13 pm Tuesday, April 18, 2023

The Carter County Sheriff’s Office is offering a reward for information in connection with the homicide investigation into the murder of a Carter County man.

The homicide investigation began on April 1 when deputies responded to the 131 Old Stoney Creek Road residence after a 911 caller reported finding a deceased person outside the residence. When officers arrived on the scene, they found the body of a man, later identified as 63-year-old William “Bill” Hitchcock Jr., who lived at the residence.

“We are offering a reward of $1,500 for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of Mr. Hitchcock,” Sheriff Mike Fraley said.

The investigation into Mr. Hitchcock’s murder is ongoing at this time, and anyone with any information that may be relevant to the investigation is asked to contact CCSO Investigator Derrick Hamm at 423-542-1856. “Our investigators and officers are working hard to determine what happened to Mr. Hitchcock and find those responsible,” Sheriff Fraley said. “We are asking for help from the public to assist us in securing justice for Mr. Hitchcock and hold the person or persons responsible for his death accountable.”

Hitchcock’s body was found by a group of fishermen on Watauga River on the afternoon of April 1. The fishermen saw what appeared to be someone laying in the driveway at the rear of the residence and called out to see if the person needed help. After no one answered, the fishermen took a closer look and called 911.

Investigators from the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the William L. Jenkins Forensic Center at East Tennessee State University responded to the scene. Hitchcock’s body was transported to the forensic center at ETSU for an autopsy, but the preliminary cause of death appears to be a gunshot wound.