Tayshaun Abram, an 18-year-old Black male from Jackson, Tennessee, was found dead behind the wheel of a crashed vehicle on the evening of October 28, 2024. Deputies and medics arrived about 5:45 p.m. to a vehicle that had veered into woods off the 200 block of Cotton Grove Road; what first looked like a traffic crash revealed an apparent gunshot wound and Abram was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators canvassed the area, collected video, and interviewed witnesses. One witness reported seeing two males walking west along Cotton Grove Road shortly before the crash. Preliminary findings indicated Abram had at least one passenger who was not present when first responders arrived. Forensics teams processed the vehicle and surrounding woods to seek evidence explaining the gunfire and the crash.

Within days arrests were announced: a 17-year-old juvenile was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder during the perpetration of a theft of property and theft of a firearm, and 18-year-old Kemauri Deshun Gill was arrested and charged with tampering with evidence. Investigators said both suspects had been passengers in the vehicle and that the juvenile was known to the victim. Does anyone have information about Abram’s movements that evening or about the vehicle on Cotton Grove Road?