In the early morning hours of October 4, 2018, the life of Thurmon Tervale Cole, a 42-year-old Black/African American man, was tragically cut short in Des Moines, Iowa. Just before 2:30 a.m., police responded to a report of a shooting at 2411 Welbeck Road. Upon arrival, they found Thurmon Tervale Cole with a gunshot wound. He was rushed to Mercy Hospital, but succumbed to his injuries and passed away.
His death marked the tenth homicide in the city of Des Moines that year.
Known by friends and family by nicknames such as "Nukie," "Shug," and "Pop's," Thurmon was remembered as a funny and good-hearted man who always wore a big smile. He was a father and worked as a custodian at the Baymont hotel. His sudden and violent death left his loved ones grappling with immense grief and a search for answers.
The investigation into the shooting moved swiftly. Des Moines Police Department detectives identified a suspect, and an arrest was made in connection with the homicide. Cornelius Davis, a 31-year-old resident of Des Moines, was taken into custody. He was subsequently charged with several serious felonies, including Murder in the First Degree, Robbery in the First Degree, and Willful Injury. The charges brought a sense of legal progression to a case that had so abruptly ended a life.
