Nashville mother hopes for answers in son’s murder after breakthroughs in numerous cold cases

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – The new year brings a newfound hope for some families.

After breakthroughs in numerous cold cases, several are one step closer to getting answers. However, one Nashville mother is still hopeful that her son’s case is next.

Something inside a particular Nashville home pushes you to learn more before you even make it to the door.

Cold case breakthroughs in 2023: TN victims that were identified last year

“When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure,” said Nedra Jones as she swept the marker engraved into the concrete in front of her home.

The marker describes the feelings often felt inside.

“My son was a treasure to me, and now he is a memory,” she explained.

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) considers any unsolved homicide one year or older to be a cold case, but for Jones, this year marks No. 9 with no justice.

“They called and told me he had been shot and that he didn’t make it,” she explained. “It’s rough; I wouldn’t want no mother to have to go through anything like this ever, because it changes your whole life.”

Jones’ son, 25-year-old Montinez Johnson, was shot and killed while standing outside of his apartment with two other men. According to the MNPD, someone ran up and shot all three of them. No arrests have been made in the case.

Two decades-old cold cases out of Robertson County remain unsolved

“He’s going to get caught sooner or later. I may never know it; I may be gone, but he’s going to get caught,” said Jones.

Now after nearly 10 years, she’s hoping her son’s case will join the many others that have gone through a major breakthrough; 2023 brought hope for families in getting them one step closer to knowing what happened to their missing loved one. The handful of cases include one out of Cheatham County from 1985 after a motorist found a woman’s skeletal remains near a creek. Technology finally helped identify her.

“Michelle Inman’s remains were found in Cheatham County on Highway 24 in Pleasant View, Tennessee. Some 13,992 days ago were 38 years, three months, and 22 days. We stand here today peeling back layers of time to bring light to the darkness,” said Assistant District Attorney General Margaret Sagi of the 23rd Judicial District during a July press conference.

Now, Jones is hoping for a similar outcome.

UNSOLVED TENNESSEE: Find more of the state’s cold cases, missing persons, and other mysteries →

“Every time I hear about a case getting solved, a cold case getting solved, I be like, ‘Oops, send the neighborhood. Mine is coming around,'” said Jones.

She is encouraging anyone who may have knowledge of a homicide or missing person’s case to call their local law enforcement agency, no matter how long it’s been since the crime took place.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.