In the spring of 2018, the life of 18-year-old Mekhi Luster was tragically cut short in Knoxville, Tennessee. On the evening of April 23, 2018, Luster was involved in a drug transaction that turned fatal. The male teenager was found in the backyard of a home on Amber Glades Lane in West Knox County, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to the UT Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led authorities to a suspect,
18-year-old Isaiah T. Styles. The Knox County Sheriff's Office determined that the shooting occurred after a dispute over a marijuana deal. The day after the incident, detectives tracked Styles to his mother's residence in the Farmington neighborhood. Upon their arrival, Styles attempted to flee on foot, jumping over fences before being apprehended by a K-9 unit.
Following his arrest, Isaiah Styles was charged with second-degree murder, evading arrest, and resisting arrest. He was booked into the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility. Later, the charges against Styles were upgraded to include felony murder and first-degree murder.
In December 2021, Isaiah Styles, then 22, stood trial for the murder of Mekhi Luster. During the trial, a recorded interview with investigators was played for the jury. In the recording, Styles admitted to his involvement in the drug deal, stating it was supposed to be for $375 worth of marijuana. He claimed he did not intend to kill Luster. After hearing the evidence, the jury found Styles guilty. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 51 years.
