A Nashville family is grieving and demanding answers after a 26-year-old woman was found strangled to death inside her apartment over the weekend, with police pointing to a domestic relationship as the likely motive.

Kierra Timmons was discovered unresponsive on the morning of March 14 at an apartment on Brittany Park Drive. A welfare check, prompted by a worried friend, led officers to the scene, where they found her body wrapped in a white blanket. Metro Nashville Police say the evidence strongly suggests she was murdered by someone she knew personally.

For her sister Kalee, the loss is almost impossible to process. Just two days before Kierra was found, the two had celebrated Kalee’s birthday together.

“She gave me a card, and she gave me a cake,” Kalee recalled. “She was telling me how much she was proud of me and my accomplishments. She said through the tough times, always try to stay strong and be happy.”

The two were not just siblings. They were best friends and coworkers who shared big dreams. Kierra was juggling multiple jobs and taking college courses, working toward a future she would never get to see.

“We had a lot of goals in life,” Kalee said. “She was in school and doing well for herself. She always told me she would pray for me. She was just a very genuine angel. She didn’t deserve to be taken out of this world.”

The welfare check that uncovered the tragedy came together in a way that speaks to the bond the sisters shared with those close to them. A mutual friend reached out to Kalee just after midnight, saying she had not heard from Kierra and was worried. Kierra had apparently told the friend that if anything ever happened to her, she should go to a specific address, where a key would be waiting.

That key opened the door to the apartment where her body was found.

Metro Police have not named a suspect, but investigators believe the case is tied to a domestic relationship. Kalee says she is left with more questions than answers.

“I don’t know where he’s at. I don’t know if he’s ever going to get caught,” she said. “He took my life from me. My sister was my life.”

The case has renewed focus on domestic violence and the specific danger of strangulation in abusive relationships. Kellye Potocki, Director of High Risk Programs at Metro’s Office of Family Safety, says strangulation is one of the most serious warning signs a victim can experience.

“The second anyone puts their hands around your throat during an argument, that should be a huge red flag,” Potocki said. “The relationship is becoming extraordinarily dangerous, and it’s time to talk to someone.”

According to Potocki, a victim’s risk of being killed increases 7.5 times once strangulation has occurred in a relationship. She also noted that many victims struggle to speak openly about the abuse because of the shame and guilt that often surrounds domestic violence.

The Metro Office of Family Safety offers multiple resources for people in dangerous situations.
As the investigation continues, Kalee says she is choosing to hold onto who her sister was, not how she died.

“She was a very intelligent person. She liked to write poetry,” Kalee said. “She was just always a happy person.”