Man accused of dismembering parents, prosecutors argue over viable evidence

A man

and putting their bodies in acid in 2017 appeared in court Wednesday morning.

In 2017, Joel Guy Jr., 31, was

, two counts of abuse of a corpse and one count of felony murder after a "horrific" crime in November 2016 at Guy's parent's home on Goldenview Lane.

On Wednesday, prosecutors argued about what evidence should be allowed during his trial. The trial is scheduled for February 24, 2020.

Sometime between November 25 and November 26 in 2016, two victims, identified 61-year-old Joel and 55-year-old Lisa Guy, were found dismembered. Their remains were discovered in containers of acidic chemicals at 11434 Goldenview Lane. The

.

Knox County investigators said someone reported that Lisa never showed up for work, which prompted the search.

Investigators said there were signs of a struggle in the home and that the victims were possibly tortured. Officials described the crime scene as "horrific."

"It would be described as horrific, a very gruesome crime scene," said Major Michael MacLean, of the Knox County Sheriff's Office.

Officials said Joel and Lisa Guy were viciously stabbed, and their bodies were dismembered and placed in an acid-based solution to destroy evidence. Law enforcement said neighbors did not hear anything.

Joel and Lisa Guy's son, Joel Guy Jr., lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the time of the murders. Police described him as an Louisiana State University dropout.

At the time, a

told WVLT News she was shocked by what happened. "I'm shocked," said Karen Holton. "I had never really spoken to him; he was very quiet and kept to himself." Officials said he had no prior criminal history.

Investigators said Guy was facing financial difficulties and believed his parents were going to cut him off. Before the crime took place, officials said Guy was captured on video purchasing cleaning products at a Knoxville Walmart.

On November 29, 2016, officials with the

.

In January 2017, he was

and transported to the Roger D. Wilson Center where he was held on a $2 million dollar bond.