Case of Maryville man accused of stabbing his father to death in December 2023 brought before grand jury

MARYVILLE, Tenn. – The case of a Maryville man accused of stabbing and killing his father in December 2023 has been sent to a grand jury.

David Alexander Mills, who goes by Alex, was charged with manslaughter after being accused of killing his father, David Anthony Mills, who was known as Tony. Alex is being held in the Blount County Jail on $1 million bail following the hearing.

The prosecution called several police officers and a friend of the suspect to the witness stand.

The friend was emotional and said he found Tony's body after Alex came to his house wearing a bloody hat and t-shirt. He was emotional when Blount County District Attorney Ryan Desmond asked him to identify a photo of the crime scene.

A video of Alex's interrogation by police after his arrest was shown in court. Police said they arrested him at an O'Charley's restaurant in Alcoa. During the interrogation, he eventually admitted to police that he “hit” his father with a knife.

The prosecution argued that Alex was under the influence of an illegal substance at the time of the murder. The defense argued that Tony was abusing Alex at the time of the stabbing.

Next, a Blount County grand jury will review the case and decide what charges to bring.

Tony was a fifth grade social studies teacher in Maryville City Schools. He retired after teaching in the school district for 20 years.

“Tony was a very popular and respected educator in our school system. His years of service to our school district were valuable as he positively impacted many lives. We are saddened by his passing. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, former students and colleagues,” the Maryville City School District said after his body was found.