Teen Detectives: High School Class in Tennessee Helps Crack Decades-old Serial Killer Case

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Usually, when two high school students stroll together during a class change, their conversation might revolve around topics like boys, prom, or plans for the weekend. However, for a certain group of students at Elizabethton High School in East Tennessee, their conversation spins around decidedly grim topics – serial killings, unsolved murder mysteries, and cold case files.

A Classroom Unlike Any Other

Located in the charming shadow of the Appalachians, Elizabethton High School has been receiving unprecedented attention due to a unique class led by sociology teacher Alex Campbell. In 2018, Campbell decided to steer his class away from textbook learning and towards real-world mysteries. The students were tasked with working on a series of unsolved murders pertaining to red-haired women, who had been strangled and dumped along the interstate.

“Mr. Campbell gave us a choice whether to go into the textbook or learn and change the world and try to make wrong things right within the world. And I chose that and everyone else in the class actually chose that,” said high school student, Hannah Metcalf.

Cracking the Case

The students’ endeavours exceeded all expectations. When the project started in 2018, many of the murder victims remained unidentified. Today, thanks to their persistent investigations, six victims have been identified. The now-deceased Jerry Johns, a former trucker, has been indicted for one of these murders, Tina Farmer. The class believes it has enough evidence to indict Johns for a second murder as well; that of Greene county victim Elizabeth Lamotte.

Campbell indicated that the cases had a common signature, “If we look at Tina Farmer’s case and how she was killed, do these other cases match the M.O, the signature, the time frame, and the geography is all the same? We have five other murders that match it completely. So, we know who killed her. He should be the primary suspect in the killing of all these others,” said Campbell.

Unearthed Revelations

The class’s dedication also helped bring forth the only known surviving victim of the so-called “Bible Belt Strangler”. Linda Schacke, who survived a brutal assault by Jerry Johns, did her first interview about the ordeal in over 35 years, on the class’s podcast ‘Murder 101′. Her insights additionally tie the six murders together, and reveal a chilling pattern: all victims were redheads, were killed on Johns’ truck routes, and were immobilized and strangled with their own clothes using a “granny knot”.

The Power of Dedication and Passion

The students’ impressive work was publicly commended by the Tennessee State Legislature. While the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has yet to acknowledge their contributions, it’s clear that the dedicated efforts of these astoundingly mature high schoolers have brought relevance back to decades-old murder cases.

Student Reiley Whitson shared, “It’s things that law enforcement hasn’t been able to do in 30-40 years. That just gives me so much confidence, that when you’re passionate about something, and you’re willing to put in the work, you can get it done and you can really go above and beyond any expectations you have.”

In an era where test scores seem to define the quality of education, the unique and depth-oriented approach of Campbell’s ‘Murder 101’ class stands out. The class has stoked student engagement, and in doing so, has redefined the concept of ‘tests’ and ‘scores’.

Unfinished Business

Despite the success, the high school detectives aren’t resting. There are still potential victims awaiting identification, and for their memory to be acknowledged. The classes conducted by Campbell have sparked a chord in these young hearts, making them fiercely determined to do right by the victims. “I had a picture of Tracy Walker, and that picture still sits on my desk. And every time I look at it. I’m like I got more work to do,” adds Hannah Metcalf.