A recent cold case file was re-opened on the murder case of Harrelle “Sonny” Ernest Hulsey, who was found dead on Feb. 6, 1979, at his used car dealership in the Rossville area.

The case has never been solved.

Hulsey, 38 years old at the time, was the owner of Sonny’s Used Cars at 1940 McFarland Gap Road in the Rossville and Fairview community.

According to police reports at that time, the victim’s son, “Buddy,” found his father laying between the desk and the wall in his office. Hulsey was on his back. The victim had bruises on one arm. The office was in disorder, as if a fight had broken out.

The investigators on the scene were the late Ken Visage, Roger Bandy and Sam Haskett.

In the Wednesday, Feb. 7, 1979, edition of the Walker County Messenger, the article reads, “A local used car dealer was shot to death Monday night, according to Walker County Sheriff’s Department. Harrell Ernest Hulsey, 38, of 49 Carolyn Lane (Rossville), was found at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday by his son, investigator Ken Visage said …. According to Visage, Hulsey had been shot in the left side. The body was found on the floor behind a desk. Visage said that there appeared to have been a struggle …. Visage said robbery was not the motive, since money was found on the victim.”

According to Capt. Mike Freeman, Hulsey was shot with a .38 Colt revolver, but no firearm was found at the scene.

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Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact detectives Sgt. Jeff Herpst or Sgt. Richie Dye at (706) 638-1909, ext. 263.

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Detective Sgt. Jeff Herpst said, “We do know there were people with him that night. ... There were several other people possibly there with him that night. It was kind of a hangout at the car lot type thing.”

“It was like an evening time hang out for people to sit around and drink,” Freeman said.

According to Herpst, frequent dog fighting and gambling occurred at the car lot.

“They (investigators at that time) conducted interviews,” Herpst said. “Nothing in-depth with the subjects that were there. Supposedly they were with him. At the time they were not clear on who was there. They knew of two people being there with him. They had admitted being there and leaving before anything took place, other than some arguing, drinking, and pushing and shoving going on that night. The witnesses said they had left the scene and then heard about him being murdered. Everyone they (investigators) had talked to denied being there at the time he was shot and knowing who shot him.”

According to Herpst, no arrest was made and the last known investigation on the case was made on Feb. 15, 1979.

Herpst said that at that time, there was a witness that investigators spoke to a few days after the shooting. A neighbor, whose home was visible to the car lot, reported hearing a gun shot around 10:30 p.m. The neighbor reported hearing arguing and yelling from the direction of the car lot.

According to the witnesses report, she had heard a car take off heading east on McFarland Gap Road. The witness reported hearing squealing of tires and loud muffler exhaust. The witness describes the vehicle as a reddish-orange color and possibly a straight shift, due to hearing the changing of gears.

There was no clear make of the vehicle, according to the witness.

According to the original report, broken glass (champagne bottles) and a bottle of liquor were found on the scene. Signs of a struggle were reported to have been in the office, where the body was found.

Capt. Freeman said, “They were known to scuffle, shoot guns in there and drink.”

According to Herpst, the men were known to get mad during the dogfights and shoot bullets in the walls of the car lot. The men were known to carry guns.

The bullet was removed from the right-side shoulder blade of the victim’s back. The bullet entered into the middle-left side of the victim’s stomach area and the bullet did not have an exit wound.

The bullet removed from Hulsey .38-caliber lead bullet showing six groves with a left-hand twist. The grove structure is consistent with a Colt .38 Special and 357 Magnum revolvers.

Bruises were found on Hulsey’s knuckles and face.

Five unnamed men were interviewed during the initial investigation and three men were recently re-interviewed.

No convictions have been made and suicide was ruled out as being an option. Investigators found $21 on Hulsey, ruling out the possibility of it being a robbery.

Capt. Freeman re-opened the cold case on Dec. 28, 2007, after previously reviewing various cold case files. He then assigned the case to detectives Sgt. Herpst and Sgt. Richie Dye.

According to Capt. Freeman, some of the men that were said to frequent the car lot hangout are now deceased.

“We are not sure that it was just a scuffle that got out of hand and was not even meant to turn out like that,” Capt. Freeman said.

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