Justin Adam Neves, a 17-year-old male of mixed ethnicity, tragically passed away on April 10, 2020, in Clarksville, Tennessee. He was born on March 9, 2003, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Luis and Jillian O'Brien Neves. Justin was a junior at Northwest High School, where he participated in the EMT program and ran track for the school's team. He was known for his kind soul and was a fantastic big brother to his siblings.
On the night of his death, Justin was working with a longtime family friend, Dominic Miceli, on home improvement and appraisals. Minutes before Justin's 9:30 p.m. curfew, his mother, Jillian Neves, received a frantic call from her then-best friend saying there had been an accident with a gun. Jillian sped to the family friend's home on Danielle Drive, only to be stopped by a police officer as she tried to run into the house. The officer informed her that Justin was dead.
The Clarksville Police Department responded to the scene at 9:22 p.m. and found Justin with a gunshot wound to the head. EMS pronounced him deceased at the scene. Justin's death certificate listed his manner of death as a homicide and the cause as a gunshot wound to the head.
Detective Mike Ulrey was assigned to investigate the case. Initially, Dominic Miceli claimed that Justin had picked up the gun and shot himself. However, the police determined this was not true. Miceli later stated that he was cleaning the gun when it accidentally discharged. On August 11, 2020, Dominic Miceli was arrested and charged with reckless homicide and aggravated assault. He was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and released on a $100,000 bond.
Jillian Neves expressed a mix of relief and anxiety following Miceli's arrest. While she was glad that something was finally happening, she was concerned that Miceli would be out on bond until his trial. She continued to seek justice for her son and ensure that his story was told.
Justin's death left a profound impact on his family and community. His mother, Jillian Neves, and his friends and family held a balloon release to honor his memory and grieve his loss. Despite the tragedy, Justin's legacy lives on through the love and memories shared by those who knew him.
