East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers is asking for the public's help to identify a person of interest tied to an investigation near Chilhowee Hills. The incident happened on May 19 and is listed under case number 26-018382, and the group says tips could be worth up to $2,000. Organizers stress that anyone shown in connection with a case is presumed innocent until proven guilty and are urging anyone with information to send in anonymous tips.
What the alert says
The post, shared June 25, includes a photo and brief case details, listing May 19 as the date of the incident and citing case number 26-018382, according to East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers on Facebook. It asks anyone who recognizes the person shown to pass along information to investigators and repeats that all individuals are presumed innocent unless and until formal charges are filed.
How to submit a tip
Crime Stoppers offers several ways to share information anonymously: call the hotline at 877-363-8847, text "ETTips" to 738477, use the P3 Tips mobile app, or file a web tip through the group's site, according to East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers. The organization notes that tipsters may qualify for a cash award if their information leads to an arrest or charge.
Why this matters
Community tips channeled through Crime Stoppers have helped Knoxville-area detectives close cases before, and similar public appeals have sparked tips that led to arrests. That track record is a big reason investigators often ask neighbors to look over home security or dash-cam footage after posts like this go up.
If you have information
Anyone who recognizes the person in the images or has information about the May 19 incident near Chilhowee Hills is asked to submit a tip using one of the anonymous options listed above. For emergencies or time-sensitive situations, authorities say to call 911 instead of using the Crime Stoppers tip line.
