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The following was taken from a press release distributed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on May 21, 2025.
Update #2: The GBI has concluded the investigation into the deaths of Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis. Based on the results of the medical examiner’s autopsy and other investigative findings, their deaths have been ruled suicide-suicide. GBI agents have met with the Lewis family to share the findings.
Detailed below are some of the investigative findings:
- Cellular location data has established a timeline of their location from their home in Gwinnett County to Bell Mountain. In the video that corresponds to those locations, the Lewis brothers are seen alone.
- Only one brother (Naazir) went to the airport on March 7, 2025. He never caught the flight and returned home. Records show Naazir is the only person that had an airline ticket.
- Records show Naazir purchased ammunition used in the gun. The ammunition was delivered to his home on March 5, 2025.
- Internet history from their phones showed searches for how to load a gun, suicide rates in 2024, and other related searches.
- Forensic evidence showed that the Lewis brothers fired a gun.
The comprehensive investigation indicates the injuries causing their deaths were self-inflicted.
The investigation will be formally closed in the coming weeks. A copy of the closed investigative file can be obtained by visiting the GBI Records Request Center at https://gbi.georgia.gov.
Update #1: A volunteer firefighter has been taken into custody for allegedly obstructing the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s inquiry into the deaths of twin brothers found on Bell Mountain earlier this month.
Authorities arrested 42-year-old Scott Kerlin, a Hiawassee resident, on a misdemeanor obstruction charge. Investigators say Kerlin responded to the scene and took photos where the bodies of 19-year-old Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis were discovered and then shared them on social media.
Kerlin was booked into the Towns County Detention Center but has since been released on bail. As a result of his actions, he has been removed from his role as a volunteer firefighter due to a violation of department protocol, according to Towns County officials.
The bodies of the twin brothers, originally from Lawrenceville, were found on March 8 at the top of Bell Mountain. Both had suffered gunshot wounds. While investigators currently believe the case to be a murder-suicide, an official ruling has not yet been made. The GBI’s medical examiner has completed autopsies, but the final determination is pending further forensic testing.
Relatives of the twins have expressed skepticism about the murder-suicide theory. They said that Qaadir and Naazir were supposed to board a flight to Boston on March 7 to visit friends, but they never made it to the airport. When their bodies were found the following day, their plane tickets were still in their wallets.
Additionally, loved ones pointed out that the twins had never been to Bell Mountain before. The site, located more than two hours from Atlanta, seemed like an unlikely place for them to be. Because of these circumstances, the family believes foul play may have been involved.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the deaths of the Lewis brothers. Officials urge anyone with relevant information to contact the GBI.
TOWNS COUNTY, Ga. – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is assisting the Towns County Sheriff’s Office with a death investigation on Bell Mountain in Hiawassee, Georgia. Hikers found two men dead at the top of Bell Mountain. The men were identified as twin brothers, Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis, both 19, of Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia.
On Saturday, March 8, 2025, at about 11:05 a.m., the Towns County 911 Center received notification that two people were found dead at the top of Bell Mountain. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was requested by the Towns County Sheriff’s Office shortly after the discovery. Both men were found with gunshot wounds. The preliminary investigation reveals the deaths to be a murder suicide. Autopsies are pending. The death investigation is active & ongoing.
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