Three teenagers were indicted on murder charges in Montgomery County for their roles in the death of a 71-year-old Clarksville man earlier this year and publicly identified for the first time Wednesday.

Jevon Brodie, 15, Tavares Harbison, 14, and Harrison Smith, 15, are each charged in a five-count indictment with first-degree murder and especially aggravated robbery in the death of Teddy Cook, an employee at the Clarksville Super Suds Laundromat and Car Wash who was savagely beaten by the teens on May 30 for $34 in change from a vending machine and the keys to his $2,500 truck, according to indictments handed down by an October grand jury.

More:Three teens charged in attack on 71-year-old man, laundromat robbery

Cook died of his injuries at a Nashville hospital on June 9, and shortly after his death, prosecutors announced they would ask for the juveniles, who were 14 and 13 years old at the time, to be tried as adults in the case. A judge granted that request in August, following a closed preliminary hearing.

The Montgomery County Grand Jury returned sealed indictments against the three teenagers last week and they were served on them at the Montgomery County Jail.

The indictments were made public Wednesday.

Caught on video

On May 30, Cook was working at the laundromat, as he regularly did on Tuesday-Friday nights since his retirement from Trane.

Video footage from the business shows two people go inside the laundromat and walk to a machine in back. When Cook talks to them, a third person can be seen sneaking up behind him and then pointing a rifle at his head. Cook turns and tries to knock the gun away and then struggles with the gunman.

The video continues, showing the men beating Cook with the butt of the rifle and kicking him repeatedly.

Clarksville Police later charged three teens, but did not release their names because they were juveniles.

In a prior interview with The Leaf-Chronicle, Assistant District Attorney Robert Nash vowed to pursue adult charges against the three due to the severity of the case.

"They killed a man," Nash said at that time. "He was beaten so severely he succumbed to his injuries."



Reach Nicole Young at 615-306-3570 or nyoung@tennessean.com.

