Police identify body as Jeremy Johnson; Grubb charged with murder

Authorities have positively identified the body of a Knox County man found last Friday and have charged a long-time suspect with his murder.

According to Kentucky State Police Post 10 Public Affairs Officer Walt Meachum, Kentucky State Medical Examiner Emily Craig was able to use medical records to identify the remains of 25-year-old Jeremy Johnson.

The search for the Woodbine man, missing since June 10 of last year, came to an end in a remote area of Knox County last Friday afternoon.

As a result of the investigation, 23-year-old Daniel Grubb, of Gray, was arrested today and has been charged with Johnson’s murder. Kentucky State Police Detective Jason York obtain a murder warrant for Grubb and served it on him in the Clay County Jail. Grubb is being held on another charge, tampering with physical evidence, which is related to the case.

Kentucky State Police, along with the Knox County Sheriff’s Department and State Medical Examiner Emily Craig were on the scene off of Gray-Helton Hollow Road in Knox County through the night Friday.

According to Kentucky State Police Lt. P.J. Burnette, at around 4 p.m. Friday, police found what they believed to be human remains in an area they had been digging up with shovels. At that time, Craig, whose office is in Frankfort, was notified and arrived at the scene about two hours later. Though it was not confirmed, witnesses near the scene say they saw a male in the backseat of a police cruiser as it made its way to the scene prior to the search.

Police had been searching an area somewhat close to this location late last month for the remains of 25-year-old Jeremy Johnson, who went missing on June 10, 2008. Two men, Grubb and 64-year-old Bobbie R. Walters of Barbourville, both face charges of tampering with physical evidence for allegedly moving Johnson’s body, but neither was immediately accused of killing the man. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Johnson  was allegedly last seen at Angels and Wings Sports Bar in a red Chevrolet station wagon.

Officers from the Knox County Sheriff’s Dept. searched an area on Hwy. 459 on July 16 where they found the car belonging to Johnson on the opposite side of a hill that officials had searched before. Police said the car had been driven as far back in the woods as it could have been driven.