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State seeks life without parole against man accused of murdering Desheena Kyle

John Bassett is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend Desheena Kyle in 2021.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen announced Friday state prosecutors will seek a life sentence without parole for John Bassett, the man accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend in 2021.  

Bassett is accused of first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in the death of Desheena Kyle. Kyle's family said she disappeared on June 28, 2021, and months later investigators discovered her body in the home of one of Bassett's relatives in September 2021 after following a lead into her disappearance.

Before finding her body, investigators identified Bassett as a person of interest in her death, and he had been in jail since July 2021 on charges tied to an unrelated case. 

After Bassett was arrested, police said additional drug and weapon charges were placed on him. Court records also show that Bassett was previously charged with domestic assault against Kyle in 2014 after he got into an argument with her.

Prosecutors said life without parole would be justified because they believe the murder was "especially heinous, atrocious or cruel, in that it involved torture or serious physical abuse beyond that necessary to produce death." 

   

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