James Nash

James Nash was a proud father, a Richmond business owner, and a man who poured his heart into his family and his music. Known to friends as "Clock Mane," the 31-year-old Black man was the dedicated owner of a popular local business, Nash Towing and Recovery. More than his work, he was defined by his devotion to his children. Friends recalled how he would pick his kids up from school every single day, a simple routine that spoke volumes about his commitment as a father. His cousin, D'Andre Kearney, remembered him as a loving man who cared deeply for people. Those who knew him rejected any negative assumptions that can follow a violent death, insisting that James was a hardworking family man who, along with his friend, provided for his family. In his spare time, James channeled his creativity into making music at his Southern Hustle Entertainment Studio, a passion project he shared with his studio partner, Eric Collins.

The night of Saturday, October 19, 2013, brought a sudden and violent end to James’s life. In the Southside of Richmond, Virginia, on a residential street called Labrook Drive, James and his friend, 40-year-old George Redmon Jr., were sitting on a porch. Just before 11 p.m., the sound of gunfire shattered the autumn quiet. When Richmond Police officers responded to reports of the shooting, they arrived to a grim discovery in the yard of a home. Both James Nash and George Redmon Jr. had been shot and were deceased. The scene was quickly identified as a double homicide, leaving two families utterly devastated and a community shaken.

In the immediate aftermath, investigators with the Richmond Police Department began the difficult work of piecing together what had happened, but leads were scarce. Loved ones were left in a state of shock and confusion, unable to comprehend why two men, described as industrious and caring, would be targeted in such a brutal manner. "I'm crushed right now," his cousin D'Andre Kearney said in the days following the murder. "My cousin was a loving man." A friend, India Smith, tearfully questioned the cruelty of the act, saying, "He pick up his kids everyday from school... So how could you take him away from his kids?"

The grief was palpable among those who knew James. His studio partner, Eric Collins, struggled to accept the news, stating, "That's the last thing I ever thought I was going to hear about this man right here." The family of George Redmon Jr., who was a truck driver, was also plunged into mourning. His father, George Redmon Sr., spoke of the heartbreak of losing his son and his confusion over who could have committed such a senseless crime. The loss was profound for both families, who now shared a tragic and unbreakable bond.

In an effort to honor James's memory and plead for answers, his family organized a candlelight vigil the following Thursday evening. They asked friends and the community to gather at his business, Nash Towing and Recovery, on Old Midlothian Turnpike, to remember the man they had lost so tragically. It was a call for solidarity and a desperate plea for anyone with information to come forward and help bring justice to James and George.

Years have passed since that devastating night on Labrook Drive. The initial investigation by the Richmond Police Department has not led to any arrests, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The double homicide of James Nash and George Redmon Jr. remains an open and unsolved case. For their children, families, and friends, the pain of their loss is compounded by the absence of answers and justice. Two hardworking men were taken from their loved ones, and the question of who was responsible, and why, still hangs over the city of Richmond.