Rose Busch

**Rose Busch** was a 64-year-old jeweler in Knoxville, Tennessee when she was murdered in her home in 1968. She's been described as reserved and sweet with sharp wits about business.

## Events

### Death

On November 19, 1968, Rose Busch was at her Knoxville, Tennessee home. She was done baking a cake and icing it around 4 p.m. when their maid left the home. The gardener, William Young, left the home around 5:15 after making sure that all the doors were locked and that the Chevrolet and carport were locked. He had worked for the family for many years and did this for Rose.

Rose offered to give him a ride home, but he declined.[source needed]

### Harry

Harry called Rose around 5:25 p.m. telling her he was on his way home and asked if there was anything he needed to pick up. He went out to his car, but it would not start. He then tried to call her again, but she did not pick up. He thought it was strange, but thought it was possible she was giving William a ride.

He had to wait for a coworker, B.T. Barnette, to get done with work and was going to get a ride with him. They left around 5:50 and went to drop off his car keys and directions to his car with Floyd's Gulf Station at Broadway and Jackson.[source needed]

### Arrived home

When he arrived home he found Rose lying on her back in the hallway between the carport and kitchen. It was believed the killer first tried to shoot her with a .22 caliber pistol as she had a grazing gunshot wound to her hand. There's a possibility the gun stopped working so they hit her about the head with it. The killer then grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed her 10 times. The final stab was so forceful that the blade broke off in her and the handle was found next to her along with her dentures and glasses.

The killer must have been covered in blood.[source needed]

### Items found

The next morning a city brush crew found a pair of bloodstained gloves stained with blood Cherokee Blvd. Alongside Kenesaw Avenue, a Cleveland, Ohio blue police uniform coat and a police-type raincoat and a police-type hat were found with fake badges. Two Ohio License Plates were also found from a stolen car and a second pair of gloves. The weapon that was shot at the scene was also found it was a 22-caliber-Ruger semiautomatic pistol with a silencer.

The blood found on the stuff was the same blood type of Rose. There was no blood on the other clothes found with the gloves. The silencer and gun were of quality, but it was believed that because of the inexperience of the user it wasn't properly put together.[source needed]

### Theory

As Harry's car was found to have been sabotaged. It's believed the killer had done it around 4 p.m. and made their way to the home. It's believed that they entered the home through the carport in a police uniform. It's believed to be a hit, but not done by a professional as they misaligned the gun.

Her killer has not been found.[source needed]

## News

*For news articles on Rose Busch, see here.*

## External links

* Bresoff family tree • Ancestry (paywall)
* Murder of Rose Busch • Count Every Mystery
* Rose *Bresoff* Busch (1904-1968) • Find A Grave
* Rose Busch Cold Case File Knoxville, Tn • Historic Archeology