In the early moments of a cold January night in Columbus, Georgia, the life of Damian 'Cody' Nesbitt, a 37-year-old Black male, was tragically cut short. On January 6, 2021, Nesbitt was sitting in his black 2005 Lexus on 5th Avenue when he was fatally shot multiple times. The former United States Army soldier, who had served for seven years, was then removed from his vehicle and left on the ground as the assailant or assailants fled in his car.
The investigation that followed led police
across state lines to Phenix City, Alabama, where Nesbitt's stolen Lexus was found abandoned on a roadway. Despite this discovery, the trail for the suspect or suspects grew cold. Investigators were hampered by limited surveillance video from both the scene of the shooting and the location where the car was recovered. In the years following his death, Nesbitt's murder, which was the first homicide of 2021 in Columbus, has remained unsolved.
Nesbitt had moved to Columbus from Memphis just 14 months before he was killed, seeking a fresh start. His mother remembered him as a kind-hearted man who would go out of his way to help anyone, whether he knew them or not. She recalled seeing her son in the very same spot where he was murdered just hours before the fatal shooting. The family continues to plead for anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward to help bring justice for Damian Nesbitt. The Columbus Police Department continues to investigate the case, with a lead investigator assigned to follow any new leads that may emerge. As of now, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly identified.
