Episode 304: On the morning of July 11, 1996, police were called to the parking lot of a hotel under construction off Interstate 40 at 7471 Crosswood Boulevard in Knoxville, Tennesee. There, they found the body of a man, later identified as Robert Dennis Blair Adams, 31, a Canadian citizen from Surrey, B.C. Family and friends called him Blair. Scattered around his body were personal items belonging to Blair and almost $4000 in various currencies, including Canadian, American, and German money. A black fanny pack near Blair’s body was found to be filled with nearly 5 ounces of gold bars, as well as gold and platinum coins and jewelry. It was later determined that Blair had been beaten and left to die in the parking lot where he was discovered.
It is unclear why Blair was in Tennessee, thousands of kilometres from home and in another country. His family later said Blair had been acting strangely and was suffering from insomnia. He told them he believed people were after him and wanted him dead. He had quit his job, emptied his bank account and safety deposit box and left home for good only two days before his body’s discovery. As Blair’s significant amount of cash and valuables lay untouched, the motive for his murder remains a mystery, as does the identity of his killer or killers.
Sources:
Half-nude with fanny pack of gold, Canadian's killing a Knox County mystery decades later
Septemmber 11, 2017 | Knoxville News Sentinel | Wayback Machine
Investigations – Cold Case – Homicides – Knox County Sheriff Website
Investigations – Cold Case – Homicide – Robert Dennis Blair Adams – Knox County Sheriff Website
Who killed a Canadian in Knox County but left his gold untouched?
Blair Adams - Unsolved Mysteries
Robert Dennis Blair Adams (1964-1996) - Find a...
From the UnresolvedMysteries community on Reddit: The Mysterious Death of Blair Adams
The Murder Of Blair Adams — And Why It Remains Unsolved Today
CRIME HUNTER: Death far from home
Appalachian Unsolved: Cross-country trip ends in Canadian's mysterious death in Knoxville
Unexplained: The Story Of Blair Adam's Bizzarre Death
Robert Dennis Blair Adams | Fact# 16244 | FactRepublic.com
DOUBLE 'S' CEDAR HOMES
Robert Dennis Blair Adams (1964-1996) - Find a Grave Memorial
Blair Adams: A Bizarre Unsolved Mystery - Historic Mysteries
From the UnresolvedMysteries community on Reddit: I think I might be able to explain the Blair Adams case with personal experiences
The Continuum of Addiction and the Addictive Personality | Psychology Today
Part 1: The Connection Between Substance Use Disorders and Mental Illness | National Institute on Drug Abuse
Dry Drunk Syndrome: What Is It and Are You Experiencing It? | CCFA
Dry Drunk Syndrome in Alcoholics - Shanti Ranganatha, 1985
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
Brian Carr Update: ‘A long 35 years’: Murder charge laid in Canadian cold case thanks to genetic genealogy
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The Bizarre Case of Blair Adams | Dark Poutine - True Crime and Dark History podcast - Listen or read transcript on Metacast
