Sheriff Suspect in Loudon Co

LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) – After a couple was found dead in their home off Highway 321, the suspect in custody has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

“Being 79 and 76 years old it is just devastating to think someone could do that to a couple,” said Loudon County sheriff, Jimmy Davis.

James Ramsey and his wife, Betty Ramsey were found dead in their home Sunday. Something Davis said shocked the community.

“You are responsible for the safety of your citizens and so I take it personal, our officers take it personal, especially as such a tight knit community,” said Davis.

Investigators believe the victims were killed sometime Saturday afternoon, and the suspect, 53-year-old Julian Philip Goodrum, was taken into custody Sunday when they were found.

According to Davis, Goodrum was close with the victims.

“He served time in the military, and he is a family friend they have known each other for about 10 years, been on trips together. He actually has a residence in Knoxville where he lives. But every once and a while he will stay with the couple if he is going through a hard time or whatnot,” said Davis.

Two days before the alleged murder, both Loudon County EMS and Maryville Police had been in contact with Goodrum for mental health evaluations.

In the past, Goodrum drew national attention for his struggles with PTSD from his military service.

Saturday night, he was transferred from the Blount County Memorial Hospital to Loudon County Jail. Criminal defense lawyer and WATE legal analyst Greg Isaacs said that the state of his mental health could impact his case.

“What your intent is drives the severity of the charge, whether it’s first degree, premeditated pre planned killing, second degree, a knowing killing, or a reckless killing, so mental health and mental state is preeminent,” said Issacs.

He said mental health can reduce a charge, but not guilty by reason of insanity pleas can be an uphill battle.

“Nationally, and here in Tennessee, that defense fails 98% of the time,” said Isaacs.

In the meantime, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office will build their case.

“We’re just in the process of trying to make sure it is a good case, we collect all the evidence we did yesterday, we are still in processing of the evidence, and I think it’s important to show the community we are following this all the way through and hopefully he will be held accountable,” said Davis.

Davis said Goodrum’s bond hearing will be held later this week or the following week.

Double murder suspect is Army veteran whose PTSD battle drew national attention 20 years ago

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The suspect charged in a Loudon County double murder is an Army veteran whose battle with post-traumatic stress disorder drew national attention after his return from Iraq.

Julian Phillip Goodrum, 53, is charged with the murders of James Ramsey, 78, and Betty Ramsey, 75 at their Loudon County home.

A Knoxville native and University of Tennessee graduate, his mental health became the subject of national attention in the early 2000’s.

WATE reporter Don Dare travelled to Washington D.C. in 2005 to interview Goodrum, where he had been treated for severe PTSD at Walter Reed Medical Center for an entire year.

Goodrum was facing a court martial by the U.S. Army at the time of the interview. He was accused of being AWOL, absent without leave, when he checked himself into Saint Mary’s Hospital in Knoxville for mental health treatment in November 2003.

The AWOL charge was dismissed, but Goodrum still faced another hearing claiming he had disobeyed orders for not returning to the military installation at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Dare reported that Goodrum’s case had become a rallying cry for other veterans who were critical of the military’s handling of PTSD cases. Goodrum’s case and the disciplinary proceedings were covered by national outlets including The Washington Post, Salon, and The Los Angeles Times.

Loudon County Sheriff Jimmy Davis told WATE that deputies were called about Goodrum, two days before the alleged homicides.

“They called and it was peaceful – going through some things in his past so, we took for a mental evaluation at Fort Loudoun in Lenoir City,” Davis said. “He was released from the medical center and the individuals picked him up and brought him back to their home.”

Davis added that Maryville Police interacted with the suspect Saturday night before anyone knew about the deaths.

While they were interacting with Goodrum, Davis said they determined he may have been suicidal and homicidal and took him in for a mental evaluation. After learning Goodrum was a suspect in the deaths, he was transferred to the Loudon County Jail.

Davis said that the Goodrum was a family friend of the victims who had known each other for about 10 years.

He said Goodrum’s bond hearing will be held later this week or the following week.