DA: Man charged in cold-case killings went to buy videotape of gold dealer Rick Davis

photo Rick Davis, owner of Rick Davis Gold & Diamonds, speaks about the high price of gold at his Brainerd Road store early Wednesday morning.
photo Donny Goetcheus
photo Sean Goetcheus

Editor's note: You can find a full updated version of this story here.

UPDATED: The Hamilton County Grand Jury on Monday indicted 52-year-old Christopher Jeffre Johnson on two counts of first-degree murder in the January 1997 deaths of Sean and Donny Goetcheus.

Investigators believe that one of the victims had a videotape of illegal activity involving Rick Davis of Rick Davis' Gold & Diamonds, according to a news release, and Johnson went to the brothers' house with money to buy the videotape.

"During their encounter, Johnson became angry and shot Sean [Goetcheus]," according to the release.

Donny Goetcheus called out to ask what was going on, before he, too was shot, according to the release.

Investigators are still working to determine exactly what happened on the evening of Jan. 8, 1997, the last night that Sean Goetcheus, 25, and his 19-year old brother, Donny, were seen alive.

The following evening, on Jan. 9, 1997, police were called to 3207 Rosemont Drive, the house where the brothers lived. Inside were the bodies of both men, who had each been shot multiple times. Sean Goetcheus had been shot twice in the head and once in the neck. Donny had been shot once in the head and once in the face.

In August 2014, shortly before officially taking office, District Attorney General Neal Pinkston asked the media to once again revisit the Goetcheus brothers' case. Later that year, he requested Gov. Bill Haslam offer a $10,000 reward to help generate tips. Haslam approved the request in February 2015. Later in 2015, the Cold Case Unit distributed reward posters throughout the area and repeatedly asked for the public's help solving the case.

Meanwhile, the Cold Case Unit was also closing the 2004 cold case of Missy Ward. In January 2016, the Hamilton County Grand Jury indicted Christopher Jeffre Johnson for Ward's murder.

Johnson, currently serving a 50-year prison sentence for the kidnapping and rapes of two girls, is a career offender who for years has bragged to other inmates about killing the brothers. He had not been taken seriously until Cold Case Unit detectives interviewed him for the Ward case. Upon talking with Johnson, both investigators became convinced Johnson is responsible for the Goetcheus' murders. In a series of conversations with CCU Supervisor Mike Mathis throughout the last year, Johnson has repeatedly confessed to the murders. Forensic experts confirm Johnson's version of events is consistent with the crime scene. He has provided details that would only be known to the killer.

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District Attorney General Neal Pinkston will be announcing a major breakthrough this morning in a cold case.

Pinkston's office did not say which case, but added that investigators and family members and friends will be present at an 11 a.m. press conference. There have been a handful of updates in cold cases this year.

In August, Pinkston secured an indictment for Jason Sanford, nearly 16 years after his ex-girlfriend was found strangled to death in East Ridge. Authorities then brought him back to Chattanooga from Michigan, where he fled.

Before that, Pinkston and his staff convinced jurors in May that Billy Hawk killed Johnny Mack Salyer, stuffing his body into a barrel into 1981 that washed onto the shores of Chickamauga Lake.

Pinkston and law enforcement made a pair of announcements in January, too.

First, Pinkston said, investigators were changing their tune about Sean and Donny Goetcheus, 25 and 19, respectively, who were shot to death in their Brainerd Home on Jan. 9, 1997.

For several years, law enforcement focused their energy on Sean. But Donny Goetcheus, the younger brother, was more likely the target.

Although authorities hadn't cracked the case, they were close, Pinkston said.

A few weeks later, Pinkston said Christopher Johnson was responsible for the slaying of Missy Ward, whose remains were found on Cash Canyon Road shortly after her disappearance in October 2004.

At the time of the announcement, Johnson was serving a 50-year sentence after pleading guilty in 2014 to kidnapping, raping and torturing two teenage girls in 2011.

During a series of interviews with law enforcement in 2011, Johnson incriminated himself in Ward's slaying, authorities said.

Investigators wouldn't reveal what Johnson said that led them to Ward's body, or why they waited nearly four more years to indict him.

This is a developing story. Check back later for more updates.

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