Memphis DJ "Slick Rick" Allegedly Found Decapitated With His Pants Pulled Down Around His Ankles

[Sugar Cookie]

Authorities in Tennessee are investigating the gruesome death of a popular Memphis-area DJ who was allegedly found decapitated inside his home with his pants pulled down around his ankles.

The body of Rick Buchanan, also known by his stage name “Slick Rick,” was discovered on Wednesday afternoon by his brother John Buchanan.

“I walked in and then I found him, and I just called 911,” John Buchanan told Memphis Fox affiliate WTVT just hours after he stumbled upon his brother’s mutilated remains.

The brother said that he came over to Rick Buchanan’s home after receiving an ominous phone call from one of his brother’s neighbors, the New York Daily News reported. Upon arriving at the residence, John Buchanan said he went to the front door, but it was locked. He then went around to the back of the home where he found the door wide open. He then went inside and made the grisly discovery.

In his initial interview with WTVT, John Buchanan left out the particularly graphic details of what he came upon in his brother’s home.

“I thought his coat was up over his head like it was cold or something,” he said of the body. “So I just ran out and then I ran back in and I noticed it wasn’t that. It was something worse.”

John Buchanan reportedly added that Rick Buchanan’s keys were “still in his hand” and said that “his pants were pulled down to his feet.”

It was not until Thursday that he confirmed to the station that his brother had been decapitated, though he did not appear on camera again.

John Buchanan noted that his brother had been working far less after a brush with death about a decade ago when he was shot during a robbery outside of a live music venue called The Stage Shop in 2014.

According to a report from Memphis NBC affiliate WMC, Rick Buchanan in May 2014 was walking to his car outside the music venue owned by his mother when two masked men approached him and held him up at gunpoint, demanding his money before shooting him at least once. He was hospitalized in critical condition and underwent several surgeries due to his injuries.

After the shooting, Rick Buchanan reportedly became increasingly reclusive, as he had difficulty finding work and preferred to stay home with his dog “Lucky” rather than go out. John Buchanan told WTVT that he planned to adopt his brother’s dog.

Memphis DJ found decapitated in home with his keys 'still in his hand,' brother says

Rick "Slick Rick" Buchanan's brother said that he found the Memphis-area DJ decapitated inside his home on Wednesday afternoon.

lawandcrime.com

 

[Freyja]

It sounds like a surprise attack. I wonder if it may be drug related. Maybe it is a situation like the 1981 Wonderland murders where the gang of drug dealers ripped off Eddie Nash and ended up getting brutally beaten to death...

 

[Handbag]

Autoerotic asphyxiation gone horribly wrong?
[automerge]1706440355[/automerge]
Also, this is the Slick Rick I knew of. Definitely not the same guy.

 

[Future_Milf]

I feel bad for him. To get shot, be scared to leave home, and still end up dying IN YOUR HOME. My gut says drugs, but this definitely isn't how this poor guy deserves to be remembered.

 

[Alxprkrkrls]

This seems personal… they’ll connect the dots sooner than later

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Rick Buchanan, also known as "Slick Rick" or "Ricky Buchanan," was a popular Memphis, Tennessee DJ who was found dead in his home in the Berclair neighborhood on January 24, 2024.

His brother discovered the body around 2:30 p.m. The discovery was gruesome: Buchanan had been decapitated, with his head found about eight feet from his body. Other details reported by family include his pants pulled down to his ankles, his jacket zipped up over the neck area, and keys still in his hand. A bloody saw was also reportedly found near the scene.

Initial reports described it as a potential murder, with police investigating. However, Memphis Police Department stated the cause of death was undetermined, with no immediate signs of foul play in how he died. An autopsy from the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center suggested he may have died from an accidental drug overdose, with traces of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine found in his system. Authorities reportedly indicated the decapitation could have been post-mortem and possibly caused by his dog (dismemberment by animal), though the family strongly disputed this, insisting it was murder and pointing to the saw as evidence.

As of the latest available reports (around October 2024), the death remains classified as undetermined, with the investigation ongoing. There are no reports of arrests, suspects identified, or the case being officially ruled a homicide.

Buchanan was 59 years old at the time of his death. He had been a longtime figure in the Memphis music scene but became more reclusive after being shot outside a club in 2014, which affected his ability to work.

Grok

Grok is an AI assistant built by xAI. Chat, create images, write code, and get real-time answers from the web and X.

grok.com

 

[Blizzard]

okay so

Authorities reportedly indicated the decapitation could have been post-mortem and possibly caused by his dog (dismemberment by animal), though the family strongly disputed this, insisting it was murder and pointing to the saw as evidence.

The police don't feel like investigating and charging the person who defiled the OD'd body by sawing the head off. K.

 

[cubby]

A dog would not just chew his head off and just leave it there, I suppose they think it's just a coincidence that there was a saw there, did the dog pull his pants down too? Since he was still zipped up in his jacket and his keys still in his hand, he was surprised as he came inside, he was murdered and the police just don't want to investigate it for some reason.

 

[runninfawn]

a dog would not decapitate his human .. go for the throat yes a possibility if the dog was sick (rabbi) or his human mistreated him badly all of a sudden... they never said how long the guy was dead before he was found but if it was a few days and the dog got really hungry it would go for something meatier and since the guy's pants were around his ankle i could see a dog eating the fleshy part of the guy's leg... that being said why would someone wearing a zipped up jacket and having his keys in his hands pulls his pants down also ", his jacket zipped up over the neck area" smart dog to hid his crime and a bloody saw near by wow i guess that dog was really really smart for being able to use the saw to help decapitate his human......