Necee Anderson stood before hundreds of people gathered in Lexington and said the thing she has been saying privately for weeks: her grandson, 18-year-old Tyler Smith, was not playing Russian roulette when he died on July 4, and she says the family has proof. Smith, a recent Lafayette High School graduate, died from a gunshot wound that Lexington police have ruled self-inflicted and accidental. Anderson says that ruling does not match the evidence her family has gathered on its own.
According to LEX 18 News, Anderson told the crowd at the press conference that her grandson has been gone for 70 days and she still has no answers. She said police did not conduct gun-residue testing or question anyone after Smith was found suffering from a gunshot wound to the head on Blue Bonnet Drive. Anderson believes the shooting was not accidental, and she says she wants truth and transparency from the department that investigated her grandson's death.
A Timeline That Started Before Dawn on the Fourth of July
Emergency dispatchers received the initial 911 call reporting a shooting at 2:36 a.m. on July 4, and Lexington police officers arrived at the 3800 block of Blue Bonnet Drive four minutes later, per a report from LEX 18. Smith was still alive when officers found him, and he was transported to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, the station's report notes. Lexington police initially characterized the fatal shooting as self-inflicted and accidental, according to a report from WKYT.
Court documents and law enforcement citations cited in media reports indicated that the firearm officers recovered at the scene did not match the markings on the shell casing found at the location, as reported by FOX 56 News. On August 3, the Lexington Police Department issued a formal statement clarifying that it categorized Smith's death as an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound rather than a suicide, while noting investigators were still awaiting the Fayette County Coroner's report and official ballistics testing. Police stated that thoroughness was critical before concluding the investigation.
The Only Person Charged Faces Court Again This Month
Bryce Chestnut, 20, was arrested nearly a week after Smith's death and charged with tampering with physical evidence, not with causing Smith's death. He appeared in Fayette District Court on August 12, waived formal arraignment, and entered a not guilty plea, per the same account from LEX 18 News. Chestnut is scheduled back in Fayette County District Court on September 21.
Under Kentucky Revised Statutes Section 524.100, tampering with physical evidence is a Class D felony punishable by one to five years in prison and fines between $1,000 and $10,000, according to the Jackson County Sun. The statute applies when a person conceals, alters, or destroys physical evidence believing an official proceeding may be instituted.
Family Says Police Have Gone Silent
Trevon Petty, Smith's uncle, said Lexington police were not returning his phone calls or emails from Anderson, according to LEX 18 News. Lexington police said in a statement that it met with Smith's immediate family to review the investigation. Anderson said she had never expected to stand on such a public platform, but told the crowd she was determined to keep pushing.
Israel United in Christ stood in solidarity with Smith's family at the press conference. Matt Israel, speaking on behalf of the group, said there was much more to the story and that police were not dealing with the evidence, per LEX 18's coverage. Dozens of community members and local advocates had already joined Anderson at a public memorial for Smith on August 15, six weeks after the shooting, calling for investigative transparency, according to a separate LEX 18 News report.
A National Civil Rights Attorney Joins the Case
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump was retained by Smith's family in late July and highlighted the case alongside two other disputed deaths of young Black men in the South, Nolan Wells in Mississippi and Daniel Erving in Texas, during a presentation at the National Urban League conference in Nashville, according to WZTV FOX 17 News. Crump noted that Smith's family members had conducted their own 17-day inquiry into his death after feeling local authorities failed to thoroughly examine the scene, as reported by People's World. Family members have questioned why the initial physical evidence discrepancy was not reconciled sooner.
Before his death, Smith worked locally at Kroger and Little Caesars while preparing for his post-graduation plans, according to a GoFundMe page set up for his family. Community members described him as a hardworking young man with his future ahead of him.
How to Submit Tips
Anonymous tipsters can submit information online at bluegrasscrimestoppers.com or through the P3 Tips app at www.p3tips.com, or by calling Bluegrass Crime Stoppers at 859-253-2020. Bluegrass Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to arrests or charges in Fayette County felony investigations. People with information can also call Lexington police directly at 859-258-3600.
