Fifteen-year-old Jontae Haywood of Sumter County, Florida, was reported missing on December 16, 2022; his body was found the next evening near County Road 557 in Bushnell. The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office determined his death was a homicide after he was discovered with a gunshot wound, and investigators believe he was shot shortly after the missing-person report.

Detectives say the death resulted from negligent handling of a firearm and that Jontae’s body was moved afterward in an attempt to conceal the crime. Warrants were obtained for three people: 15-year-old Tervaris Eugene Jackson, Jr., 17-year-old Trevon Donte Battle, and 70-year-old Bradford Nethercot. Jackson and Battle face charges including aggravated manslaughter, improper disposal of human remains, possession of a firearm by a person under 18, and failure to report a death to the medical examiner. Nethercot, identified as the only adult present, was charged with child neglect resulting in great bodily harm and several drug-related offenses; authorities say he failed to prevent the firearm from discharging and did not try to prevent Jontae’s death.

Anyone who has information about what happened that night is asked to contact the sheriff’s office.