A man is kidnapped and brutally murdered by the Clarksville Mongols
In a grim turn of events that unfolded in November 2017, 36-year-old Stephen Cole, a White male from Clarksville, Tennessee, was reported missing. His disappearance on November 18th of that year would later be uncovered as a brutal kidnapping and murder orchestrated by members of the Clarksville chapter of the Mongols Motorcycle Gang, of which Cole himself had been a member. The motive for this violent act stemmed from accusations that Cole had stolen motorcycles belonging to a fellow gang member, William Boylston. This perceived act of disrespect set in motion a chain of events that would ultimately lead to Cole's death.
The investigation revealed a harrowing narrative of Cole's final hours. He was kidnapped at gunpoint from a residence in Clarksville by William Boylston, Jason Meyerholz, and Christopher Wilson. Stripped of his belongings, he was transported to William Nelper's home in Trenton, Kentucky. There, he was subjected to a prolonged and brutal interrogation and torture. The assailants bound him with zip ties and beat him severely, resulting in multiple fractured vertebrae, fractured ribs, and significant trauma to his head and face. The horrific ordeal culminated in his murder, with a 10-inch tent stake being driven through his head. His body was then buried in a secluded field behind an abandoned residence, where it was discovered nearly a year later.
The subsequent federal investigation into the Mongols Motorcycle Gang brought to light a wider conspiracy of violent criminal activity, including racketeering, kidnapping, and large-scale drug trafficking. In connection with Stephen Cole's murder, William Nelper, William Boylston, Jason Meyerholz, and Christopher Wilson were indicted on charges including kidnapping resulting in death and murder in aid of racketeering. The broader investigation resulted in charges against a total of 21 members and associates of the Clarksville Mongols.
The legal proceedings that followed saw several members of the gang plead guilty to various charges. In September 2022, a jury found multiple remaining defendants, including Boylston and Meyerholz, guilty of a range of offenses, including the murder of Stephen Cole. The convictions carried severe penalties, with some facing mandatory life sentences, bringing a close to a violent chapter in the Clarksville area and delivering justice for the brutal slaying of Stephen Cole.
