Billy Ray Plunk was 29 when he was shot dead in the early morning hours of July 23, 2016. A Nashville resident and Harpeth High School graduate from the class of 2005, Plunk was described as a devoted father, son, and brother who loved wrestling and was known for his warm smile and generous hugs. He and his brother were at a Bellevue apartment complex when they were robbed; Plunk was struck by a chest wound and later died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The shooting was tied to a larger pre-dawn crime spree across Nashville. Authorities indicted two men, Joseph L. Ware and Jamal Bekhtyar, in connection with the robbery and Plunk’s killing. A jury in Davidson County later convicted Ware of first-degree felony murder and other charges, and the court imposed an effective sentence of life plus 10 years. Anyone who knew Billy Ray Plunk or has information about the events that night is asked to come forward.