The family of 19-year-old twin brothers found shot to death on Bell Mountain, Georgia, earlier this month is demanding answers, rejecting the theory by police that their deaths were the result of a murder-suicide.
Qaadir Malik Lewis and Naazir Rahim Lewis were inseparable, their loved ones say—always protecting each other, never even known to fight. So when authorities suggested that one killed the other before turning the gun on himself, the family immediately pushed back.
“They’re very protective of each other. They love each other,” their uncle, Rahim Brawner, told NBC affiliate WXIA. “They’re, like, inseparable. I couldn’t imagine them hurting each other because I’ve never seen them get into a fistfight before.”
Hikers discovered the brothers’ bodies on the morning of March 8 at the summit of Bell Mountain in Hiawassee, nearly 90 miles from their home in Lawrenceville. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (The GBI) said in a statement that both men had gunshot wounds and that “the preliminary investigation reveals the deaths to be a murder-suicide.” But for their family, that explanation simply doesn’t add up.
For one, the twins, who were from Lawrenceville, Georgia, had plans—they were supposed to be on a flight to Boston on the morning of March 7 to visit friends. Their plane tickets were still in their wallets when they were found. And then there’s the location itself.
“How did they end up out in the mountains?” Brawner questioned. “They don’t hike out there; they’ve never been out there. They don’t know anything about Hiawassee, Georgia. They never even heard of Bell Mountain, so how did they end up right there?”
The GBI has completed autopsies but has yet to release an official cause of death, stating that further forensic testing is needed. Meanwhile, the twins’ family remains steadfast in their belief that something else happened on that mountain. “We knew right away that wasn’t true,” Brawner said of the murder-suicide theory.
Another aunt, Yasmine Brawner, echoed that sentiment. “They had a huge support system. We know them. They wouldn’t do anything like this. To say they did this to each other? No. Something happened in those mountains, and we want answers.”
The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral expenses and seek justice for Qaadir and Naazir. In a heartfelt message, Yasmine Brawner wrote:
“In recent news reports, it was claimed that they took their own lives. My nephews wouldn’t do this! They came from a family of love, and the twins wanted so much for their future. They had dreams of starting their very own clothing line.”
As of Tuesday morning, the fundraiser had raised $27,800 while the family of these twin brothers continue to push for more answers about what happened.
