On the evening of March 15, 2022, 19-year-old Naythan Phillip Robert Nugent was found inside a vehicle in the 300 block of Forest Hills Drive in Clarksville, Tennessee, suffering from a gunshot wound. Clarksville Police responded to a report of a shooting in progress around 9:40 p.m.; Nugent was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators from the Special Operations Homicide Unit concluded the killing did not appear random and that the victim and the perpetrator were acquainted.

Naythan was born January 27, 2003, in Clarksville and graduated from Northeast High School, where he played on the soccer team. Family and teammates remembered him for his big heart, his love of people, and a smile that could light up a room. The investigation remained active for more than a year and a half.

In December 2023 a Montgomery County grand jury returned an indictment charging 25-year-old Jacori Steele of Clarksville with first-degree murder. Steele was arrested December 20, 2023, after attempting to flee officers, and a loaded firearm reported stolen from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, was recovered; he faces additional charges of aggravated robbery, being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and evading arrest. Does anyone have information about Naythan’s last known whereabouts or contacts that could help investigators?