A Kingsport man has been charged with second-degree murder after investigators say he fatally stabbed his own father during an argument, then fled across state lines — leaving behind three separate crime scenes and at least one crashed police cruiser before he was finally caught.
Levi Carter, 37, was arrested on June 10 in Church Hill, Tennessee, roughly 10 miles east of Kingsport, two days after the attack that killed Anthony Carter, 51. The victim was his father.
According to a police affidavit, the incident took place the night of June 8 at the family’s residence on Hickory Street in Kingsport. The victim’s wife told investigators that Levi Carter arrived at the home, attacked his father, and then drove away in a red Ford F-150.
Anthony Carter, after being stabbed in the chest, managed to walk from the basement into the living room — leaving a trail of blood that would later become part of the evidence — and told his wife, “Levi stabbed me.” He did not survive.
In court, Kingsport Police Detective William Clare relayed what Carter allegedly told investigators after his arrest. According to Clare, Carter admitted the two were arguing about “father and son stuff” when something his father said pushed him over the edge. Both men were sitting in chairs when Carter stood up and stabbed the older man once, believing he had struck him in the stomach.
The detective told the court there were “essentially three crime scenes” — a trail of blood stretching from the basement to inside the house.
Officers pursued Carter across state lines during the investigation, a chase that resulted in a police cruiser crashing in Hawkins County before Carter was taken into custody.
The following morning after the stabbing, the Kingsport Police Department issued a public alert describing Carter as “armed and dangerous” and asking for help locating him. He was arrested two days later.
Levi Carter currently faces one count of second-degree murder. The case remains under active judicial proceedings.
