In the early morning hours of October 3, 2021, the life of Marty Samuel Adkins, a 52-year-old Black man, was tragically cut short in Nashville, Tennessee. Adkins was walking home along Moorewood Drive after attending a party nearby when he was fatally shot. His body was discovered in the street by a passerby, prompting an immediate investigation by the Metro Nashville Police Department's Homicide Unit.
Residents in the area reported hearing gunfire around the time of the incident.
The investigation into Adkins' death was led by Detective Juan Gonzalez. Initially, police sought help from the public, urging anyone with information to come forward and offering the anonymity of Crime Stoppers. Their efforts led to a significant breakthrough in the case.
Less than a month after the shooting, on November 9, 2021, an arrest was made. Jashawn Jerome Simmons, 39 years old at the time, was taken into custody in Clarksville, Tennessee, by the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force. Simmons was charged with criminal homicide in connection with Adkins' death. Investigators determined that the shooting allegedly occurred during an argument between Simmons and Adkins.
Court records from Davidson County indicate that Jashawn Jerome Simmons, born November 5, 1982, was initially charged with first-degree murder. On August 24, 2022, Simmons was convicted of the lesser charge of second-degree murder. Following his conviction, he was sentenced to 25 years in the Tennessee Department of Correction.
