In the early morning hours of March 20, 2025, the life of 19-year-old Jah'Zaria Lewis was tragically cut short in Memphis, Tennessee. Her body was discovered by authorities who were responding to a call about a suspicious person at 1021 Melrose Street around 7:50 a.m. Upon their arrival, they found Lewis unresponsive on the ground, having sustained gunshot wounds to her stomach and lower left hip.
Paramedics were unable to revive her and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the young woman's death quickly led police to a suspect, 21-year-old Traileon Adell. A witness informed investigators that Adell and Lewis had been in a relationship. This same witness identified a black Kia driven by Adell as the vehicle used to transport Lewis to the location where her life would ultimately end. The car was later recovered by law enforcement.
During the course of the investigation, detectives interviewed Adell at the DeSoto County Jail. Initially, he denied any involvement in Lewis's death. However, when presented with the evidence that had been gathered against him, Adell confessed to his role in the tragic events. He told investigators that he had picked up Lewis from her home in the black Kia and they were on their way to his aunt's house. At some point during the drive, he crashed the vehicle through a fence. According to Adell, this led to an argument, with Lewis becoming angry and yelling at him. He claimed that he pushed her out of the car, but she continued to shout at him. In his statement, Adell admitted to firing an assault rifle into the air multiple times before driving away from the scene.
Following his confession, Traileon Adell was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Jah'Zaria Lewis. He was booked into jail and is being held on a $300,000 bond. His court appearance was scheduled for the Wednesday morning following his arrest. The crime scene, situated near the western end of Southern Avenue on the border of Midtown and South Memphis, was marked by a heavily damaged chain-link fence, near where Lewis's body was discovered.
