An Etowah, Tn., man pleaded guilty on Monday to killing his father and was given a life prison sentence.
John Scott Ball, 47, pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of his father, John Henry Ball. He was also charged with abuse of a corpse.
District Attorney Shari Tayloe said John Scott Ball shot his father, cut up the corpse in Polk County, then attempted to bury his father’s remains in the mountains in Monroe County.
A hiker found the remains in the Tellico Plains area in May 2022.
DA Tayloe said, "The successful prosecution of this case was due to the multiple law enforcement agencies working together to bring justice to the Ball family. Those agencies were the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, McMinn County Sheriff’s Office, Etowah Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Cleveland Police Department, the 10th Judicial Drug Task Force, and the 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
“Securing a life sentence for such a gruesome crime can only happen with the diligence and teamwork of our local law enforcement agencies. I am proud to partner with them."
The prosecution was headed by Assistant District Attorneys Aaron Chaplin and Krista Cochran, with Assistant Victim Witness Coordinator Danielle Uselton.
District Attorney Shari Tayloe serves the 10th Judicial District, which includes Bradley, McMinn, Monroe, and Polk Counties.