In the late hours of a March evening in Norfolk, Virginia, the life of 19-year-old Nate Evans was tragically cut short. On March 21, 2019, just before midnight, police responded to a call of a gunshot disturbance in the 800 block of West 43rd Street. Upon arrival, they discovered the male victim on the sidewalk, suffering from a gunshot wound. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene.
Evans, a promising sophomore and a running back for the College of William & Mary football team, was remembered as an immensely talented young man with an interest in public health.
The investigation into the homicide revealed a complex situation involving a drug transaction. Court documents and witness testimony indicated that Evans had arranged to meet an individual to sell a pound of marijuana. The meeting, set up near the Old Dominion University campus, took a fatal turn. According to court testimony from a childhood friend who was with Evans that night, the buyer, later identified as Kri'Shawn D. Beamon, allegedly took the marijuana and fled without paying, prompting Evans to give chase. It was during this pursuit that multiple gunshots were fired, striking Evans twice in the back.
The ensuing police investigation led to the swift arrest of 20-year-old Kri'Shawn D. Beamon just days after the shooting. He was charged with second-degree murder, robbery, and two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. For three years, Beamon was the primary suspect. However, the case evolved when Beamon, while in custody, implicated another man, Keith Bryant, as the person who pulled the trigger. This led to Bryant's arrest years after the initial crime.
The legal proceedings brought forth conflicting narratives. Prosecutors argued that Keith Bryant was the shooter, acting as an armed overseer for the drug deal on behalf of his friend, Beamon. Conversely, Bryant's defense team maintained that Beamon was the one who shot Evans. The conflicting accusations were at the center of Bryant's trials. His first trial, in April 2024, concluded with a hung jury, resulting in a mistrial. A subsequent trial in March 2025 ended with a jury finding Keith Bryant not guilty of second-degree murder. Following the acquittal, Beamon's case for his alleged role in the death of Nate Evans remained pending for trial.
