Son Fatally Stabs Father in Kingsport, TN, Sparking Multistate Police Chase

Levi Carter, 37, is charged with second-degree murder after stabbing his father Anthony Carter during a domestic argument in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Fatal Stabbing After Father-Son Argument Leaves Three Crime Scenes in Kingsport

A Tennessee man is in custody on a second-degree murder charge after allegedly stabbing his father with a pocketknife during a domestic argument, Law & Crime reports. Levi Carter, 37, is accused of killing Anthony Carter, 51, at the family home on Hickory Street in Kingsport on the night of June 8.

According to an affidavit obtained by local NBC, CW, and Fox affiliate WCYB, the victim's wife told investigators that Levi Carter arrived at the residence and attacked his father before fleeing the scene in a red Ford F-150.

Three Crime Scenes, One Trail of Blood

Kingsport Police Detective William Clare testified that the attack left "essentially three crime scenes," with a trail of blood running from the basement to the interior of the house. After being stabbed in the chest, Anthony Carter walked into the living room and told his wife, "Levi stabbed me," authorities allege. He later died from the wound.

Clare relayed the defendant's alleged confession to the court. According to the detective, Levi Carter said the two men had been sitting in chairs when an escalating exchange crossed a line.

"Initially, he said that they were arguing about father and son stuff," Clare told the court. "Eventually, he told me that his father wouldn't stop. His father said something that set him off, and he eventually stood up and stabbed him."

Carter told the detective he believed he had wounded his father in the stomach with a single stab. The actual wound was to the chest.

Multistate Chase and Arrest

The Kingsport Police Department issued a public alert early the following morning, June 9, describing Carter as "armed and dangerous" and asking for help locating him on a murder warrant. He was arrested on June 10 in Church Hill, a small town roughly 10 miles east of Kingsport.

During the pursuit, officers chased the suspect across state lines and back, a chase that resulted in a crashed police cruiser in Hawkins County, according to law enforcement.

Clare said Carter was interrogated for 32 minutes after his arrest and did not appear to be under the influence. When informed of his father's death, Carter allegedly responded: "Oh, boy."

Asked to explain why he had stabbed his father, Carter allegedly told the detective: "Sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do."

Bond Denied, Next Court Date Set

Carter made his first court appearance on Thursday. His defense requested a bond reduction to $25,000; the court denied the motion. He remains held at the Sullivan County Jail on $500,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for October 14.

Source: Law & Crime