On a late June evening in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, the life of 27-year-old Bailey Troy Gardner was tragically cut short. He was at the Cedar Creek Marina, simply packing up his vehicle after a day of fishing on Old Hickory Lake, when he became an innocent victim in the violent fallout of a nearby robbery.
Earlier that night, three individuals had robbed a restaurant at the marina, pistol-whipping two victims and making off with a significant amount of cash.
As the robbers fled the scene, they encountered Gardner, who had no involvement in the preceding crime. In a senseless act of violence, Gardner was shot and killed at point-blank range. The perpetrators then made their escape.
An investigation was launched, and authorities were able to track a vehicle involved in the crime using license plate readers. This led to the identification and arrest of one of the suspects, Adrian McLean. McLean was subsequently charged with first-degree murder in the death of Bailey Gardner. Following a trial where a jury found him guilty, McLean was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder. He is also slated to be sentenced for the robbery charges in January of the following year. While one individual has been brought to justice, investigators have indicated that two other suspects involved in the robbery and Gardner's murder remain at large, and the investigation continues.
