On a spring evening in La Vergne, Tennessee, what began as a transaction for a cell phone tragically ended in the death of 17-year-old Yudjy Cherubin. The African American high school junior at La Vergne High School, was a male who had arranged to purchase an iPhone through the 'LetGo' app on April 30, 2018. He drove to a parking lot on George Buchanan Drive, with his younger siblings in the car, to meet the sellers.
Shortly after arriving, at approximately 7:40 p.m., Cherubin was shot
in the face in what authorities described as a robbery gone wrong. Emergency services were called to the scene, and he was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Despite the efforts of medical staff, Yudjy Cherubin succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead later that evening. The harrowing event was witnessed by his younger brother and sister, who were passengers in his vehicle.
The investigation into the shooting led police to two suspects, both 17 years old at the time: Bryan Berry and Marquez Hughes. Investigators were able to connect them to the crime through messages on the victim's phone. Within hours of the shooting, one suspect was in custody, and the second was apprehended the following day. Cherubin's younger brother also identified one of the teens as the shooter.
Both Berry and Hughes were initially charged as juveniles with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Given the gravity of the crime, the case was later transferred to the adult criminal court system. After their transfer to the adult system, both Bryan Berry and Marquez Hughes were held at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center. Court proceedings were scheduled for October 2020 and January 2021, though the final disposition of their cases, including any convictions or sentencing, has not been publicly reported.
