On a late summer day in Milan, Tennessee, the quiet of a home on Wilbur Nelson Road was shattered by a grim discovery. On August 23, 2021, 21-year-old Marcus Smith Jr., an African American male from Humboldt, was found dead inside the residence. He was not alone; with him was the body of 20-year-old Diamond Love, who lived in the home. Both had been fatally shot.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Gibson County Sheriff's Office immediately launched a joint investigation into
the double homicide. As detectives delved into the lives of the two young victims, their focus soon turned to one individual. Information developed during the investigation pointed towards Diamond Love's former boyfriend, Frederick Yates Jr., as the person responsible for the tragic deaths.
With a primary suspect identified, the case moved forward. Investigators secured arrest warrants for Yates on charges including two counts of First Degree Murder and Especially Aggravated Burglary. On October 15, 2021, a Gibson County Grand Jury handed down indictments against Yates, charging him with two counts of First Degree Murder, one count of Especially Aggravated Burglary, and one count of Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Dangerous Felony. With the assistance of the United States Marshals Service, Frederick Yates Jr. was located and taken into custody in Ringgold, Georgia. He was then served with the arrest warrants and held in jail without bond.
