KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – A Knox County judge has ruled evidence seized from the Louisiana apartment of a man accused of killing his parents and trying to destroy their bodies in their Knox County home cannot be used at trial.

Joel Guy Jr., 32, is accused of stabbing his mother and father to death at their Knox County home, then dismembering them and dissolving their bodies in acid over the 2016 Thanksgiving weekend.

Evidence seized at Guy’s Louisiana apartment will not be admissible in the case, Sixth Judicial District Judge Steven Sword ruled. Evidence seized at the Knox County scene of the crime can still be used at trial.

Sword ruled the search warrant failed to establish close connection between the alleged crimes in Knox County, Guy’s apartment in Baton Rouge and the items to be seized. 

Investigators established Guy was charged with the murders and was arrested at the Baton Rouge apartment the next day, but did not indicate the Guy had entered his apartment after the alleged murders. Investigators failed to describe the manner of the homicide that would justify collection of blood, bodily fluids, hair and fiber evidence at the Baton Rouge apartment.

“The connection between the cellphones, electronic devices and computers is not supported at all by the facts,” Sword wrote in his rulings on the motions to suppress.

“Such a nexus could have easily been made based upon the information available to law enforcement at the time. “

Sixth Judicial District Judge Steven Sword

Guy Jr.’s trial is now set for September 28. It had previously been scheduled to start late February.

In 2017, Guy Jr. was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of abuse of a corpse and one count of felony murder.