In the summer of 2022, a dispute over a stolen cell phone in southwest Detroit escalated into a tragedy that cut short the life of 14-year-old Joseph Phillip Nankervis. On July 26, 2022, the young boy was fatally shot in what police believe was a confrontation that originated from an argument over the phone which had allegedly been stolen from his brother. The incident unfolded near Joseph's home on Homer Street, where a car carrying four individuals, an 18-year-old and three minors, arrived.
It was from this vehicle that the fatal shots were fired, striking and killing the teenager.
The aftermath of the shooting saw a swift police response, leading to the arrest of four suspects. However, only one individual, 16-year-old Ryan Mloud, was ultimately charged in connection with Joseph's death. In a significant legal step, Mloud was charged as an adult with first-degree murder and was held in a youth home pending further court proceedings. The other three individuals in the vehicle at the time of the shooting were not charged, with authorities citing a lack of sufficient evidence against them. This decision brought additional pain to the grieving Nankervis family, who firmly believe that everyone in the car that day shared responsibility for Joseph's murder and should be held accountable for their actions.
The family's anguish was compounded by what they described as taunts and threats on social media from friends of the suspect. Joseph's sister, Amber Nankervis, voiced the family's plea for peace to grieve and for a justice that encompassed all who were involved. She shared screenshots of social media posts that appeared to mock her brother's death and even seemed to threaten his friends and older brother. Despite the family's calls for broader accountability, the case against the other individuals remained stalled due to insufficient evidence, leaving the investigation technically ongoing but with a sense of unresolved justice for the family of Joseph Nankervis.
