After months of painful doubt, private autopsies and family-funded detective work, the relatives of 19-year-old twins Qaadir and Naazir Lewis say they now accept the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s conclusion that the brothers died by suicide on March 8, 2025, atop Bell Mountain in Towns County. Family members say they are turning their attention to honoring the twins’ memory and pushing for more awareness around mental health.
In a Facebook post over the weekend, the twins’ aunt, Yasmine Brawner, said the family reviewed the GBI’s full investigative file, hired two independent homicide investigators and obtained separate autopsy reviews. All of those outside reviews reached the same conclusion as state examiners, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. The post also thanked donors who helped cover funeral costs, private investigations and counseling.
GBI’s Findings and the Evidence
In May 2025, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced that its forensic review, which included medical-examiner autopsies and analysis of the scene, showed the injuries were self-inflicted and that the deaths were a double suicide. Investigators cited Naazir’s purchase of ammunition in the days leading up to the trip and internet searches found on both brothers’ phones about loading a gun and suicide, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Family-Funded Reviews and Public Pressure
Early on, the Lewis family publicly rejected the state’s initial characterization and raised money to pay for private autopsies and independent investigators, according to the GoFundMe page. Local coverage tracked the relatives’ calls for transparency and an outside probe into what happened on the mountain, as detailed in GBI Rules Twin Brothers' Deaths.
Local Fallout and Unanswered Questions
The case also drew scrutiny after a Towns County volunteer firefighter was charged with misdemeanor obstruction for taking and sharing photos from the scene, a move that deepened mistrust among relatives and neighbors. Local reporting documented the arrest and the ongoing pressure on investigators while the GBI completed its work, according to WRDW.
Moving Forward
Relatives told reporters they are grateful for community support and counseling during an extraordinarily difficult stretch, and said they hope to turn their loss into outreach around mental health and grief support, per FOX 5 Atlanta. For now, the family says memorials and counseling, not further legal action, are the priority.
