In the quiet, rural landscape of Oak Grove, Arkansas, the evening of July 9, 2025, was shattered by a grim discovery. A young man, 19-year-old Alexzander Drake Bernhardt, a White male, was found lying unresponsive in the middle of a county road. First responders were dispatched to the scene around 8:37 p.m., but it was too late; Bernhardt was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Carroll County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Arkansas State Police, immediately launched a homicide investigation into the teenager's untimely death.
The investigation quickly centered on a group of young people who had been together in a 2016 Kia Soul shortly before Bernhardt's body was discovered. According to an affidavit, two witnesses who were in the front seats of the vehicle told authorities they heard a single gunshot from the back. When they turned, they saw a rear passenger holding a pistol. The witnesses stated that the shooter then removed Bernhardt's body from the car and attempted to wipe down the interior before driving the vehicle to a concealed location. Investigators were able to swiftly locate and interview the two witnesses with the help of Life360 location data.
This information led to a significant breakthrough in the case. On July 18, 2025, just nine days after the discovery of Bernhardt's body, the Arkansas State Police arrested 18-year-old Thomas Kevin Blewett of Oak Grove. Blewett was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. Authorities allege that Blewett shot Bernhardt in the forehead with a 9mm handgun while they were inside the vehicle.
Following his arrest, Blewett was held on a $1,000,000 bond. He has since appeared in court and entered a plea of not guilty to the murder charge. The investigation into the death of Alexzander Drake Bernhardt is ongoing as the legal proceedings continue.
