On a summer evening in Mobile, Alabama, the life of Nicholas Gardner, a 20-year-old Black/African American male, was tragically cut short. On July 10, 2015, at the Jefferson Place Apartments on Texas Street, Gardner was shot once in the abdomen. First responders rushed him to a local hospital, but he ultimately succumbed to the fatal wound.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a suspect.
Mobile Police homicide detectives identified Tavelle Nelson as the individual responsible for Gardner's death. Just three days after the shooting, on July 13, 2015, a warrant for Nelson's arrest on a murder charge was issued. Two days later, on July 15, Nelson turned himself in to authorities at the Mobile County Metro Jail.
The legal process that followed would span several years. In April 2019, the case against Tavelle Nelson went to trial. After hearing the evidence, a jury convicted him of the lesser charge of manslaughter for his role in Nicholas Gardner's death. Following the conviction, Nelson was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for the crime.
