On a summer day in Cookeville, Tennessee, the life of 22-year-old Joshua Austin Rowan was tragically cut short. On August 10, 2020, Rowan, a male, was discovered deceased inside his apartment located at 1971 North Dixie Avenue, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. A former student and athlete at White County High School, he was remembered as a remarkable individual who excelled in basketball, football, baseball, track, and soccer.
The investigation into his death, led by the
Cookeville Police Department, quickly pointed to a homicide, believed to have occurred during a robbery attempt. This led to the swift apprehension of two individuals who were subsequently charged with first-degree murder. The suspects were identified as 22-year-old Calvin Reeves III of Cookeville and a 14-year-old juvenile whose name was not publicly released. Following his arrest, Reeves was held at the Putnam County Jail on a $3,000,000 bond, while the juvenile was detained at a juvenile facility without bond.
As the legal proceedings unfolded, it came to light that a third individual was also involved. Eljaviondavis Morris, who was a juvenile at the time of the incident, was charged as an adult in connection with Rowan's death. In a significant development in the case, Morris pleaded guilty to the charge of facilitation of first-degree murder. This admission of guilt resulted in a sentence of 35 years in prison. The cases against the other co-defendants continued to move through the justice system.
