On the night of Memorial Day, May 31, 2021, 18-year-old Taia Nagena Bryant, a Black woman, was inside a car on the 1600 block of Leaf Avenue in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, when she was shot multiple times. The vehicle crashed and caught fire; officers at the scene were unable to extinguish the blaze in time to rescue her. Bryant suffered severe burns and was taken to Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy later determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.

Two other passengers escaped on foot and provided information that, along with gas-station video and additional evidence, led investigators to identify and arrest two juvenile siblings, 16-year-old Dontorius Hamler and 17-year-old Donzalai Hamler. The case was transferred to adult court; a 2023 grand jury returned multiple indictments including second-degree murder and related charges. Plea negotiations resulted in the Hamler brothers receiving prison terms at Bledsoe County Correctional Complex, with projected release dates after credit for time served in 2030 and 2031. Authorities say the investigation remains active and that others may have been involved.

If anyone knew Taia, the people in the car that night, or saw activity near Leaf Avenue on May 31, 2021, please share what might help the ongoing investigation.