On a summer morning in Nashville, Tennessee, the body of 23-year-old Jeremy Smith, an African American male, was discovered on the side of River Road Pike. A passerby made the grim discovery at 8 a.m. on June 29, 2022, and immediately contacted the authorities. Smith was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound.
The investigation into Smith's death quickly led Metro Nashville Police Department's Homicide Unit detectives to a
suspect: 22-year-old Labrian Elliott. Security footage captured Smith picking up Elliott in the Cayce Homes area on South 8th Court earlier on the day of the murder. Following his arrest on unrelated outstanding warrants for aggravated robbery and burglary, Elliott was questioned by homicide detectives.
During the interview, Elliott admitted to his involvement in Smith's death. He claimed that while he was with Smith, Smith began to act strangely, causing Elliott to feel threatened. Elliott stated that he then took Smith's gun and shot him. After the shooting, he confessed to cleaning the blood from inside the vehicle they were in, parking it near Smith's home, and then walking to his own residence. The motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
Elliott was subsequently charged with criminal homicide for the death of Jeremy Smith. At the time of this arrest, he was also facing charges for two counts of aggravated robbery and burglary of a motor vehicle. One of the robbery charges stemmed from a hold-up at the D.B. Todd Market on May 30, 2022. Additionally, upon his arrest, Elliott was found in possession of a handgun that had been reported stolen in December 2021. He is being held without bond.
