A Kingsport man faces a second-degree murder charge after authorities say he killed his father with a pocketknife and led officers on a cross-state pursuit.
Levi Carter, 37, was arrested on June 10 in Church Hill, ending a two-day manhunt. According to police records, the violent encounter took place on the night of June 8 at the family’s home on Hickory Street in Kingsport. An investigative affidavit notes that Carter attacked his father, 51-year-old Anthony Carter, inside the residence before fleeing the scene in a red Ford F-150.
The victim’s wife told investigators she witnessed the assault. After being stabbed in the chest, Anthony Carter managed to walk into the living room and told his wife, “Levi stabbed me.”
Responding officers discovered a trail of blood leading from the basement into the main part of the home, which Kingsport Police Detective William Clare later described in court as “essentially three crime scenes.”
The search for the suspect quickly turned into a multistate police chase. Officers pursued Carter across state lines and back into Tennessee, resulting in a crashed police cruiser in Hawkins County. The Kingsport Police Department had previously warned the public that the suspect was “armed and dangerous” while the murder warrant was active.
Following his capture, Carter was interrogated for 32 minutes. Detective Clare testified that the younger Carter did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and spoke freely about the incident. According to court testimony, Carter admitted to the stabbing but claimed he initially believed he had only wounded his father in the stomach.
“Initially, he said that they were arguing about father and son stuff,” Detective Clare told the court. “Eventually, he told me that his father wouldn’t stop. Specifically, that they squabbled about father-son stuff. They were both sitting in chairs, and he was having some difficulties [with] his father. And his father said something that set him off, and he eventually stood up and stabbed him.”
When investigators informed the suspect that his father had died from the single stab wound, Carter allegedly replied, “Oh, boy.” He later attempted to explain his actions to the detective, saying, “Sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do.”
During his initial court appearance, Carter’s defense team requested a bond reduction to $25,000. The court denied the request, keeping his bond at $500,000. Carter remains in custody at the Sullivan County Jail and is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 14.
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