On the evening of October 10, 2022, a passerby or caller reported a man lying unresponsive on Holston Hills Road near Holston River Park in Knoxville. Officers who arrived around 8:30 p.m. found 27-year-old Brandon Smiles of Warren, Michigan, deceased at the scene from at least one gunshot wound. Police identified him publicly in the days after the discovery and classified the death as a homicide.

Investigators opened an immediate inquiry but released few details about why Smiles was at that location or what led to the shooting. At the time police asked the public for help, urging anyone with information to contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers; a cash reward was offered. Police also reported no information about a suspect or suspects in the period following the killing.

If anyone has information about Brandon Smiles, his movements that evening, or the area around Holston River Park, please contact East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers.