Missing man found dead in Knoxville
By J.J. Kindred and Wes Wade | (jj.kindred@thedailytimes.com) , (wes.wade@thedailytimes.com)
A Maryville man reported missing since Friday was found dead Wednesday morning along the railroad tracks in the Montgomery Village area of South Knoxville.
Troy T. McNeilly, 44, Macon Street, was found at about 9:30 a.m. by a railroad employee in the area, according to Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp. The employee contacted the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, which sent officers to the scene, which is in the Vestal community.
There is no word as to McNeilly’s cause of death at this time.
Around 5 p.m. Monday, Blount County Sheriff’s Office deputies located an abandoned Subaru Hatchback belonging to McNeilly at Stock Creek Industrial Park in Rockford. The vehicle, which was found at the dead end of Frank Bird Boulevard, was locked.
Both the Maryville Police Department and Blount County Sheriff’s Office searched the area with the help of a search dog Monday night but were unable to pick up a track of the man, who was reported missing Friday evening by his mother, Martha McNeilly.
Crisp said authorities returned to the area Tuesday morning to conduct another search, which was aided by firefighters from the Maryville and Blount County fire departments and members of the Blount County Rescue Squad. Another K-9 search was conducted, with officials scouring the wooded area surrounding the industrial park.
A boat from the Blount County Fire Department was also used to search a nearby cove of Fort Loudoun Lake. Authorities were also able to open the locked vehicle but didn’t turn up anything that might indicate McNeilly’s whereabouts.
He was last seen in the Eagleton Village area at 7 a.m. Friday, according to his mother, Martha McNeilly. She said her son was due home at 5:30 p.m. Friday, but never showed up.
He was reported to be on medication for bipolar disorder and had not taken his prescribed dosage since early Friday morning, Martha McNeilly said, adding that her son has a fairly regular schedule and rarely deviated without first informing her.
The Knoxville Police Department first checked the parking lot of Troy McNeilly’s place of employment, Xpedx in Knoxville, but there had not been any contact.
Mother plans funeral
Martha McNeilly said Wednesday that funeral arrangements for her son will not be completed until the Knox County Sheriff’s Office releases the body. She said she expects to start contacting funeral homes today to begin funeral arrangement plans.
Martha McNeilly said she will be in contact with friends and family when funeral arrangements have been finalized.
“(Troy) will be greatly missed by many friends and family,” she said, adding that she’s been astounded by the outpouring of support she’s received via Facebook. She said her son had lived in Blount County all his life and attended John Sevier Elementary and Heritage High schools.
“People that knew him, (people) that I don’t know, many people that just knew him through school have messaged me or made comments — all positive comments — on Facebook,” Martha McNeilly said.
