In the early morning hours of August 17, 2018, Bartley Brandon Teal, a 33-year-old male, was celebrating his birthday with friends in Nashville, Tennessee. The night took a tragic turn when he and a friend, 30-year-old Jaime Sarrantonio, were shot and killed during a robbery in the parking lot of The Cobra, a music venue and bar in East Nashville. Teal was the lead singer and guitarist for the band Terrestrial Radio and was remembered as a loving and caring son with a passion for life and
music.
The two were returning to the nightclub after a trip to a convenience store when they were confronted by at least two individuals, one of whom was armed. Teal reportedly stated it was a robbery before he was fatally shot. The murders were described by police as 'senseless cold-blooded homicides.' Investigators noted similarities between this crime and another recent homicide, as well as several other robberies in the area, suggesting a possible connection. The suspects were described as two young Black men, with one having shoulder-length dreadlocks.
Following the incident, Metro Nashville Police sought the public's help in locating two men, Lacory Lytle, 24, and Demontrey Logsdon, 20, who were wanted for questioning in connection with the murders outside The Cobra and another homicide. Both men were subsequently taken into custody. In June 2023, a Davidson County jury found Horace Palmer Williamson III guilty on all 13 charges against him for his role in the deaths of Teal and Sarrantonio. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
