Former Hamilton County Sheriff chief homicide investigator Larry Sneed, who helped solve the Signal Mountain murders case, has died at 72.
He began his law enforcement career in 1972, serving as an officer with the Soddy Daisy Police Department.
Twice while working with Soddy Daisy, he was shot in the line of duty. In one shooting he suffered minor injuries, but in the second shooting in which he was pursuing a bank robber, he was shot in the head.
After serving the Soddy Daisy Police Department for five years, Detective Sneed joined the Major Crimes Division of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. His major responsibilities with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department included investigating crimes, arresting suspects, testifying in legal proceedings, working Internal Affairs investigations, and handling all homicide investigations. He retired as Detective Lt. from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department in 2000.
His investigative work has been featured on Unsolved Mysteries, City Confidential, and Crimestoppers and published in Detective Cases.
He worked many years to solve the case in which property owner Frank Casteel was finally convicted in the deaths of three men on four-wheelers who had been headed to the Blue Hole.
A graduate of Soddy Daisy High School, Detective Sneed attended Chattanooga State Technological Community College. He then graduated from the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy in 1973. Since then, he has been state certified in law enforcement and investigation training, including specialized training in Advanced Criminal Investigations, Police Middle Management training, and training in the areas of DNA, Major Crime Scene Investigations and Homicide Investigations.
He was a member of the Soddy Masonic Lodge, the Scottish Rite and the Alhambra Shrine.
He ran for sheriff of Hamilton County in 2002.
Services will be held at Lane Funeral Home, Ashland Terrace on Saturday beginning with
visitation noon-2 p.m. and the funeral service at 2 p.m. in the chapel, officiated by Pastor
Dwight Kilbourne, Ooltewah UMC. Burial will be in Poe Cemetery in Soddy Daisy.