An arrest has been made in relation to the death of twin brothers Qaadir and Naazir Lewis. On March 8, 2025, the 19-year-old brothers were found dead at the summit of Bell Mountain in Hiawassee, Georgia. No one in their family knows how the brothers ended up at the mountain. Family members say it wasn’t a place the brothers had been before.
Upon the initial examination of the young men’s bodies, police ruled their death a murder-suicide. However, their family vehemently denies this theory. According to multiple family members, the brothers rarely fought, and there’s no way either would have killed the other.
According to a statement from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, 42-year-old firefighter Scott Kerlin has now been arrested. He is charged with misdemeanor obstruction.
“Kerlin is a volunteer firefighter in Towns County who took photos of the Lewis twins’ death scene and shared them publicly,” the statement said. In the statement, GBI explained that Kerlin had opportunity to take the photos because he was one of the first responders on the scene.
“Kerlin heard the call over the radio regarding the deaths and responded to the scene as a volunteer firefighter,” a GBI spokesperson told People.
The investigation into the deaths of Qaadir and Naazir Lewis is ongoing. Autopsies have been performed on both bodies, which had gunshot wounds. From that, authorities made the suggestion of murder-suicide.
However, authorities have not released an official cause or manner of death. For now, the medical examiner says that additional medical testing needs to be done.
“Unfortunately Something happened at Bell mountain that ended the lives of 19 year old Qaadir and Naazir, which needs to be further investigated,” their aunt, Yasmine Brawner said in a GoFundMe started for funeral costs.
The family of the twins is completely rejecting the idea of murder-suicide. “My nephews wouldn’t do this!” Brawner said in the fundraiser description. “They came from a family of love, and twins wanted so much for their future, they had dreams of starting their very own clothing line.”
According to the family, the twins were supposed to be traveling to Boston the day before they were found dead. The tickets were still in their wallets.
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
