Latest news with #Naazir
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Twins' Suspicious Deaths Ruled Suicide. Family Seeks Private Investigation.
A grieving Georgia family still has questions after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation ruled the deaths of 19-year-old identical twins Qaadir and Naazir Lewis a double suicide on Wednesday after weeks of investigation. Hikers found the Lewis brothers' bodies at the top of Bell Mountain in Hiawassee, Georgia, near the Tennessee border, on the morning of March 8. Initially, the GBI floated the theory that their deaths were the result of a murder-suicide. The family rejected those statements immediately, as well as the findings in the final report. Late Thursday night, Yasmine Brawner, Qaadir and Naazir's aunt, took to social media to question the report's findings. 'The twins were not suicidal, Naazir girlfriend form Boston stated that they were planning a future together and to one day get married and have children she stated that he was not depressed or suicidal. Qaadir was planning to become an entrepreneur and both twins were still enrolled in college,' Brawner wrote on Facebook. Questions began to swirl as soon as the unusual circumstances around the brothers' deaths were revealed nearly three months ago. Raised in Lawrenceville, about 90 miles south of Hiawassee, the brothers' aunts Sabriya and Samira Brawner – also identical twins – told Fox 5 the two teens had never been to Bell Mountain before and had no reason to be there. The family said the brothers were scheduled to take a trip to Boston the day before they died, but the GBI found that only Naazir had purchased a ticket. On March 7, the GBI says Naazir went to the airport but didn't catch his flight. He returned home later that day. Brawner wrote on Facebook that Naazir's girlfriend, who lives in Boston, told her that Naazir had missed his flight and rescheduled his ticket for 7 a.m. the following day. She added that the brothers' stepmother, who was the last relative to see them alive, confirmed that Naazir had booked a flight for the next morning. According to the GBI's forensic findings, both Qaadir and Naazir fired the gun found at the scene on the day they died. According to the report, Naazir purchased the ammunition used in the gun that was delivered to their house earlier that week. The family believes that the bullets were purchased for protection, not self-harm. Cell phone data from the night before they died tracks the brothers traveling from Gwinnett County to Bell Mountain in Towns County. Surveillance footage from a gas station in Gwinnett County shows them alone, drinking water and eating snacks at 10:30 p.m. on March 7, just before they made their way to Hiawassee. The family says they were told by the GBI that the twins' cell data was unable to locate them during the last 30 minutes before their car reached Bell Mountain, raising questions about how they were able to find the park entrance. 'They drove a 2009 Nissan Altima that had no GPS navigation system installed in their car. We would like to know how they were able to navigate to Bell Mountain with there phones off and no navigation in their car,' Brawner wrote. She also questioned why their car was found behind the park's gate, which is supposed to be locked every night by a Town's County sheriff when the park closes at dusk. Adding to the mystery, a week after their bodies were discovered, Scott Kerlin, a Towns County volunteer firefighter, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor obstruction of justice for taking photos of the death scene and sharing the images on social media. Kerlin has since been dismissed from duty as a volunteer firefighter and was never identified as a suspect in the case. The GBI said their investigation into the deaths of Qaadir and Naazir will be formally closed in the next few weeks. For relatives of the Lewis brothers, many questions still remain about what happened on the night they died and whether there was foul play. 'We want to thank GBI for their release and effort to investigate, but we still have questions regarding there investigative findings and feel like there final ruling was rushed and closed too soon,' Brawner wrote on Facebook. The family has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for a private investigator to independently look into the twins' deaths atop Bell Mountain. If you or someone you know is in crisis call or text 988 for free and confidential support. The post Twins' Suspicious Deaths Ruled Suicide. Family Seeks Private Investigation. appeared first on Capital B News - Atlanta.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Deaths of twin brothers found on Georgia mountain ruled double suicide
The deaths of two 19-year-old twins found fatally shot at the top of a north Georgia mountain in March have been ruled a double suicide, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced on Wednesday. Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis were found in Hiawassee, Georgia, at the summit of Bell Mountain on March 8. The twins from Lawrenceville — about 90 miles south of where their bodies were found — had plans to visit their friends in Boston the morning of March 7. Only Naazir went to the airport the day before their deaths, the GBI investigation found, and he was the only person who had an airline ticket. Naazir did not board the flight and returned home. GBI said investigators used cellular location data to establish a timeline of the twins' movements from their home to Bell Mountain. "In the video that corresponds to those locations, the Lewis brothers are seen alone," the release stated. The family previously told NBC affiliate WXIA of Atlanta that they were unsure how or why the twins were at Bell Mountain, a spot popular with tourists not far from the North Carolina border. The brothers had no clear connection to the place, their family said. Forensic evidence showed the Lewis brothers fired a gun, according to the GBI. Records show Naazir purchased ammunition and delivered it to his home on March 5. The brothers also made internet searches for how to load a gun, 2024 suicide rates, and other related searches, the agency stated. GBI said the investigation will be formally closed in the coming weeks. Investigators originally thought the twins' deaths could be a murder-suicide, a theory their family rejected. NBC could not immediately reach the Lewis family. "They're very protective of each other. They love each other," Rahim Brawner, an uncle, previously told NBC affiliate WXIA of Atlanta. "They're, like, inseparable. I couldn't imagine them hurting each other, because I've never seen them get into a fistfight before." The family organized a GoFundMe page for the twins, stating they were looking to hire a private investigator specializing in homicide to look into the brothers' deaths. "We know them. They wouldn't do anything like this," their aunt Yasmine Brawner, who co-organized the crowdfunding campaign, told WXIA in March. "To say they did this to each other? No. Something happened in those mountains, and we want answers.' This article was originally published on
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Sister Details Last Conversation She Had with 19-Year-Old Twin Brothers as Officials Determine They Died by Suicide
Qaadir and Naazir Lewis, who were found dead at the top of a Georgia mountain on March 8, both died by suicide, authorities announced this week Initially, officials said that the evidence suggested their deaths were a "murder suicide" The family continues to have many questions in the wake of their deathsOfficials have concluded their investigation into the deaths of 19-year-old twins Qaadir and Naazir Lewis, who were found dead at the top of a Georgia mountain – and announced a shift from their preliminary findings when it came to their manner of death. On Wednesday, May 21, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced that they'd ruled that both young men died by suicide, a change from the agency's initial findings on March 9, in which they classified their deaths as a 'murder suicide" based on preliminary evidence. 'The comprehensive investigation indicates the injuries causing their deaths were self-inflicted,' the agency said. The GBI said no further information will be released when contacted by PEOPLE. The GBI Medical Examiner's Office and Towns County Sheriff's Office directed PEOPLE to the GBI press release. Since Qaadir and Naazir's bodies were found by hikers at the top of Bell Mountain in Hiawassee, Ga., on March 8, family members said they didn't believe that the young men —who had planned on a taking a birthday cruise in April and dreamed of being entrepreneurs — would hurt themselves or each other, CNN reported. 'My nephews wouldn't do this!' the twins' aunt, Yasmine Brawner, wrote in a GoFundMe page she organized in hopes of hiring an investigator to help with the case. (Brawner did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.) '[They] wanted so much for their future, they had dreams of starting their very own clothing line,' she added. On March 7, the day before the siblings were found dead, Naazir was scheduled to fly to Boston to see friends, according to CNN. Officials said that he went to the airport but never boarded the plane. Instead, he returned to his home in Lawrenceville, an Atlanta suburb. What prompted Naazir and Qaadir to travel from their hometown to Hiawassee, almost 90 miles away, is unclear. But cellular location data helped investigators establish a timeline from the siblings' home to Bell Mountain. Surveillance footage also emerged, which showed the twins entering a Shell Gas station in Lawrenceville, Ga., about 12 hours before they were discovered dead. Other evidence that led to their official finding includes records that show 'Naazir purchased ammunition used in the gun,' according to the GBI. The ammunition was delivered to Naazir's house two days before his final trip with his brother. Additionally, internet history from their phones "showed searches for how to load a gun, suicide rates in 2024, and other related searches." For the brothers' family, there are still unending questions – and pain. 'For a lot of our family, it's too much,' a family member told CNN. 'They are extremely traumatized.' Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories The twins' older sister, Kai'ree Powell, remembered her last day with them. On March 6, the three siblings watched a sitcom at her home in Atlanta and talked about life. 'They asked me … 'If you didn't have any anxiety and fears, what would you do?' And I told them that I would want to dance because I've always wanted to be a dancer,' Powell told CNN. 'And they said, 'You should do that. I really hope that you do that.' ' "That was the last thing they said to me," she added. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 24/7. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Georgia state officials rule death of twins on Bell Mountain a suicide, despite family's belief of foul play
After twin brothers were found dead on Bell Mountain, the family contests the state's claim of suicide: 'I know that something happened to them.' Two months after news surfaced of the twin brothers found deceased on Bell Mountain, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) concluded its investigation into the cause of their deaths. On March 8, GBI responded to a 911 call about two people who were found dead at the top of Bell Mountain. At the time, the state's investigation bureau reported that 19-year-old twin brothers Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis were both found with gunshot wounds. GBI's preliminary investigation suggested that the Lewis twins died by murder-suicide. However, the family suspected otherwise as the twins were found 90 miles from their home in Lawrenceville. 'They had no reason to take their own lives,' said Samira Brawner, the twins' aunt, previously in an interview, per Fox 5. 'I know that something happened to them. I know that they were murdered.' Describing the young men as happy, fun, and family-oriented, Brawner said GBI's initial ruling 'doesn't make any sense.' In a GoFundMe campaign, Qaadir and Naazir's aunts Sabriya, Yasmine, and Samira Brawner released statements in April as they awaited the final verdict from GBI's in-depth investigation. 'As we are still waiting for the investigation to complete private [sic] and GBI, we are hoping for the truth and substantial evidence of what happened to the twins. We do know one thing for sure that they would not harm themselves and would not harm each other so we demand a thorough investigation and those involved to be prosecuted.' an April 3rd statement read. On April 10th, after the autopsy was reportedly completed, the family wrote: 'We are still waiting on [the] toxicology report that can take several weeks and GBI still investigating and gathering forensics. We are not going to sweep this case up under the rug, we want to know the truth of what happened to Qaadir and Naazir so this family can have closure.' On May 21, GBI announced the conclusion of its in-depth investigation into the twins' deaths. Based on their findings and a medical examiner's autopsy, Qaadir and Naazir's deaths were ruled a suicide. In a press release, GBI outlined the investigative findings that led to this conclusion: Cellular location data has established a timeline of their location from their home in Gwinnett County to Bell Mountain. In the video that corresponds to those locations, the Lewis brothers are seen alone. Only one brother (Naazir) went to the airport on March 7, 2025. He never caught the flight and returned home. Records show Naazir is the only person that had an airline ticket. Records show Naazir purchased the ammunition used in the gun. The ammunition was delivered to his home on March 5, 2025. Internet history from their phones showed searches for how to load a gun, suicide rates in 2024, and other related searches. Forensic evidence showed that the Lewis brothers fired a gun. GBI reportedly met with the twins' family before releasing the news, but the family has yet to release a statement in light of the investigation's conclusion. More must-reads: Most books pulled from Naval Academy library are back on the shelves in latest DEI turn Harvard sues the Trump administration over ban on enrolling foreign students Mistrust in law enforcement complicates the search for the New Orleans jail escapees
NBC News
23-05-2025
- NBC News
Deaths of twin brothers found on Georgia mountain ruled double suicide
The deaths of two 19-year-old twins found fatally shot at the top of a north Georgia mountain in March have been ruled a double suicide, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced on Wednesday. Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis were found in Hiawassee, Georgia, at the summit of Bell Mountain on March 8. The twins from Lawrenceville — about 90 miles south of where their bodies were found — had plans to visit their friends in Boston the morning of March 7. Only Naazir went to the airport the day before their deaths, the GBI investigation found, and he was the only person who had an airline ticket. Naazir did not board the flight and returned home. GBI said investigators used cellular location data to establish a timeline of the twins' movements from their home to Bell Mountain. "In the video that corresponds to those locations, the Lewis brothers are seen alone," the release stated. The family previously told NBC affiliate WXIA of Atlanta that they were unsure how or why the twins were at Bell Mountain, a spot popular with tourists not far from the North Carolina border. The brothers had no clear connection to the place, their family said. Forensic evidence showed the Lewis brothers fired a gun, according to the GBI. Records show Naazir purchased ammunition and delivered it to his home on March 5. The brothers also made internet searches for how to load a gun, 2024 suicide rates, and other related searches, the agency stated. GBI said the investigation will be formally closed in the coming weeks. Investigators originally thought the twins' deaths could be a murder-suicide, a theory their family rejected. NBC could not immediately reach the Lewis family. "They're very protective of each other. They love each other," Rahim Brawner, an uncle, previously told NBC affiliate WXIA of Atlanta. "They're, like, inseparable. I couldn't imagine them hurting each other, because I've never seen them get into a fistfight before." The family organized a GoFundMe page for the twins, stating they were looking to hire a private investigator specializing in homicide to look into the brothers' deaths. "We know them. They wouldn't do anything like this," their aunt Yasmine Brawner, who co-organized the crowdfunding campaign, told WXIA in March. "To say they did this to each other? No. Something happened in those mountains, and we want answers.'
