The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) said authorities have identified a homicide victim as James Robert Benson, whose remains were discovered in Knoxville more than three decades ago, bringing new momentum to a long-standing cold case.
On August 30, 1988, railway workers repairing a section of track discovered a man’s body in the Coster Rail Yard area. Forensic anthropologists at the time determined the remains belonged to a white male believed to be between 21 and 30 years old.
Investigators ruled the death a homicide, though the exact cause of death was not publicly released. Records noted on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System’s (NamUs) website details how the victim’s body had cuts, and he was found wearing a red shirt with the words “Best Italian Restaurant.”
Despite extensive efforts by the Knoxville Police Department (KPD) and the Knox County Regional Forensic Center, investigators were unable to determine the man’s identity at the time. After all leads were exhausted, the case went cold and the victim was classified as a John Doe.
The case was later entered into NamUs in hopes that future advances might provide answers.
Years later, the University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Center submitted a DNA sample to the University of Texas Center for Human Identification. The resulting DNA profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and NamUs, but no matches were found, TBI said.
A breakthrough came in May 2023 when TBI agents assisted local authorities through the agency’s Unidentified Human Remains DNA Initiative. A sample of the remains was sent to a Texas laboratory for forensic genetic genealogy testing. Scientists were able to identify possible relatives, and investigators later obtained a familial DNA sample from a potential family member.
The testing ultimately confirmed the victim was James Robert Benson, born on September 11, 1965, who was originally from the Knoxville area. Benson was last seen near the end of March 1988.
Investigators are now working to determine the circumstances surrounding Benson’s death.
Anyone with information about the case, particularly about people Benson may have been with before his death, is asked to contact KPD’s Homicide Unit at 865-215-7275.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
