UTenn Snoops is a one-of-a-kind organization that was born out of the desire to serve individuals that are wrongfully incarcerated and families that have lost loved ones to unsolved homicides.

Cases go wrong for numerous reasons, but the fact remains that once a case is deemed "closed" or “cold,” hope diminishes. While many law enforcement agencies have Old Case Units, they are typically undermanned and utilize a “solvability factor” that prioritizes cases with the most favorable evidence such as witness cooperation, DNA profiles, known suspects, and physical evidence, to name a few.

That prioritization has led to a significant number of cases being reopened and/or new arrests, particularly with the technological advances of DNA testing. But it leaves a great number of cases at the bottom of the priority list not being re-investigated and often times left out of the public eye. Even though, in many cases, all the investigator needs to advance the case is that one witness to recant or come forward.

UTenn Snoops is a not-for-profit organization with an ambitious goal of publicizing all questionable homicides and controversial convictions in the South while linking information, families with laws, and ultimately, helping to solve cases correctly.

UTenn Snoops was founded in 2010 after seeing a need for more support for families that have relatives truly wrongfully convicted and yet to receive justice in their loved one’s case.

The original idea was simply to add problematic murder cases, questionable suspects and victims’ photos to a website, indicating that there are people who care and their stories will never be forgotten. That quickly expanded to offering insight to families and law enforcement.

Today, UTenn Snoops works closely with surviving family members and law enforcement, educating both parties on the struggles of living with an old case called into question and why these cases are incredibly difficult to resolve.

When families and authorities need a little assistance, some advice on how to move forward or navigate a specific issue, or simply want to have a particular case looked at more closely, that’s where UTenn Snoops comes into play. Made up of prominent university professors and retired law enforcement from around the Southeast region, we work diligently to get to the bottom of old cases with too many unanswered questions. In this issue we're featuring the case of WILLIE EARL SCOTT and bring to it a ton of research and leg work.