NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — This April will mark four years since a Nashville man was shot and killed along Demonbreun Street after a night out with friends. News 2’s Kendall Ashman spoke with the lead detective on the case, who said he’s doing everything he can to generate new leads.
Christopher Hill, 26, was out with friends near downtown Nashville on April 17, 2021.
“Christopher was not someone known to be out causing trouble, getting in trouble. He was just a young guy who was well liked by friends and family,” said Sgt. Robert Nielsen with the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) cold case unit.
Nielsen, the lead investigator on the case, said Hill and his friends were leaving the bars between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. When they walked past Vibes Bar and Lounge along Demonbreun Street, a man approached them.
“They had some kind of exchange of words. We’re not exactly sure of the nature of it, but it became heated, turned into a full-blown argument, at which point the shooter in this incident had been standing by the front of a black Ford Raptor,” Nielsen said.
In the surveillance video, you can see the suspect approach Hill and his friends before he fired a gun, killing Hill and injuring his friend.
Nielsen said the shooter and another man got into the black pickup truck with two women before driving off toward the highway.
“We’re unable to get any more definitive descriptions of either the shooter himself or the two females that were with him or a license tag on the Raptor,” Nielsen said.
He said a license plate recognition (LPR) system could have solved this case and many other homicide cases. Meanwhile, every county surrounding Nashville currently has LPR technology.
“The LPRs are extremely beneficial, especially when you have a case like this where we have very limited information to go by, very limited witness information, the video is not the best quality,” Nielsen said.
Until someone is caught, Nielsen said Hill’s case is still open.
“People think that a cold case means nobody’s working on it, and that’s not true,” Nielsen said.
UNSOLVED TENNESSEE: Find more of the state’s cold cases, missing persons, and other mysteries →
Nielsen told News 2 there are seven detectives working multiple cold cases, some of which date back to the 1930s. However, he said Hill’s homicide case is unusual because it happened in a popular part of town for both locals and tourists.
“I’ve worked that area for many years on and off through overtime assignments and calls for service back when I was in patrol, and I’m not aware of any other homicides that we’ve had that have occurred like this, at least in my recent memory,” Nielsen said.
If you have any information about this deadly 2021 shooting, you’re asked to call Nashville Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. You can remain anonymous and might receive a $5,000 cash reward for information. You can also contact Nielsen directly at [email protected].
