On Monday, April 13th, 1998 around 9:00am, a woman called the police to report a deceased person at the end of Mary Street. Officers discovered the burned and deceased body of a black male who was unidentifiable. In May of 2009, DNA from the male was entered into the CODIS database for unidentified remains. In September of 2012, a woman who was searching the NamUS website trying to find her brother, contacted MNPD to see if it might be her brother who had been last seen at 3:00pm on Sunday, April 12th, 1998. In October of 2012, a DNA sample was given by Nicholson’s mother to compare to the unidentified DNA. In April of 2013, the DNA samples were confirmed a match, positively identifying the black male discovered on April 13th, 1998 as Leryan Nicholson. Leryan Nicholson was 18 years old at the time of his death.
If you have any information regarding the murder of Leryan Nicholson, please contact the Cold Case Homicide Unit at MNPDColdCase@nashville.gov
You can also call the Nashville Police Department’s Crime Stoppers Division anonymously at 615-742-7463
We feel it is important to put a face to the name. If you have a photograph you would like to submit to be posted (as an addition or substitution) please email: MNPDColdCase@nashville.gov