On March 12, 2022, 18-year-old Naomi Irion disappeared from a Walmart parking lot in Fernley, Nevada, United States. A man was seen approaching Irion's car and driving away in it. She was found dead two weeks later in a shallow gravesite in rural Churchill County, having been kidnapped and shot to death.
| Killing of Naomi Irion | |
|---|---|
  Location of murder Location of murder (Nevada) | |
| Location | Fernley, Nevada, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°36′37″N 119°13′02″W / 39.61033°N 119.21729°W (kidnapping) |
| Date | March 12, 2022 5:25 a.m. (PST; UTC−08:00) |
Attack type | Homicide by shooting, kidnapping |
| Weapon | Firearm |
| Victim | Naomi Irion |
| Accused | Troy Driver |
Several days before Irion's body was found, 41-year-old Troy Driver was taken into custody and charged with Irion's killing. Before going to trial, he committed suicide in his jail cell in August 2023.
Personal life
editNaomi Irion moved across the world with her family to follow her father's, Herve Irion, career as a foreign expat for the US State Department. They relocated to France, Russia, Germany, and South Africa before Naomi returned to the United States as an adult. When in South Africa, Naomi attended the American International School of Johannesburg where she graduated in 2021.[1]
Naomi had three younger brothers, who were adopted from Ukraine in 2018. Irion also had a brother, Sean Michael Irion, who died in infancy in 2002.[2]
Naomi was an avid fan of music, playing the ukelele, guitar, and was a singer. Her favourite colour was the rainbow and often wore rainbow clothing such as socks and had rainbows on her jackets and bag. Irion was well known for always laughing, spreading kindness, and her positivity within her friendship groups.
Irion turned eighteen on 25 July 2021 and died between 12 and 29 March 2022.
Events
editKidnapping
editAround 5:00 a.m. (PST; UTC−08:00) on Saturday, March 12, 2022, Naomi Irion parked her vehicle in the Walmart parking lot in Fernley, Nevada.[3] According to her sister, she was waiting for a shuttle to take her to her job.[3] She was active on social media between 5:09 and 5:23 a.m.[3] At 5:24 a.m., surveillance footage showed a man approaching Irion's vehicle and entering.[3] A minute later, the vehicle left the parking lot with the man driving.[3] The male was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, "dark pants or jeans" and dark tennis shoes.[3] At the time of the disappearance, Irion was described as being 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) with dyed black hair and green eyes.[3] She was wearing a blue shirt, gray sweater, dark boots, and gray sweatpants.[3]
Search and discovery of body
editOn March 15, three days after Irion disappeared, her four-door sedan was discovered in an industrial area near Fernley.[4] Police stated they were searching for a suspect driving a "dark, newer model" Chevrolet Silverado High Country truck.[4] Irion's sedan was searched and analyzed forensically.[4] Law enforcement conducted many searches on the ground and by air.[4] On March 28, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced they would be offering a reward of up to US$10,000 for information leading to Irion's location.[5]
On March 29, police received a tip connected to Irion's disappearance that led them to a rural site in Churchill County. They recovered a body, which was later confirmed to be Irion's.[6]
Investigation
editOn March 25, police arrested 41-year-old Troy Driver, a resident of Fallon.[7] Driver had a lengthy juvenile criminal history, including pleading guilty to being an accomplice to murder and a series of armed robberies at age 17.[8]
Legal proceedings
editDriver was initially taken into custody for kidnapping charges and had his bond set to US$750,000, but was charged with murder, first-degree kidnapping, robbery, burglary of a motor vehicle and destruction of evidence after Irion's body was discovered.[6][9] A criminal complaint alleged that Driver kidnapped Irion and shot her to death before burying her body to avoid leaving evidence.[9] He reportedly disposed of Irion's phone and replaced his truck's tires.[9]
In July 2022, Driver was charged with sexual assault, as prosecutors alleged he raped Irion before killing her.[10] In November, he was found mentally fit to stand trial for the killing of Irion.[11]
On August 6, 2023, Driver was found dead in his cell when prison personnel arrived for a routine inmate check.[12] His death was ruled a suicide by asphyxiation.[12][13]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Sonner, Scott (April 13, 2022). "Slain Nevada woman's brother seeks a positive from her death". AP News. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
- ^ "God Gave Us a Miracle!". November 2004.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Vera, Amir; Henderson, Jennifer (March 23, 2022). "Nevada authorities are searching for an 18-year-old woman whose disappearance they say is 'suspicious in nature'". CNN. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c d Planas, Antonio (March 18, 2022). "Nevada woman disappears from Walmart parking lot; brother says video shows masked man forcing way into car". NBC News. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ Alonso, Paradise; Afshar, Claudia; Dominguez, Melissa (March 29, 2022). "FBI offers $10,000 reward for missing Nevada woman". CNN. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Afshar, Paradise (March 31, 2022). "The body of Naomi Irion, reported missing in Nevada more than 2 weeks ago, has been found, police say". CNN. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ Alonso, Melissa (March 26, 2022). "Man arrested on kidnapping charges in case of missing Nevada woman". CNN. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ Russell, Terri (March 28, 2022). "Kidnapping suspect has criminal past". KOLO-TV. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c Dominguez, Paradise Afshar,Claudia (April 6, 2022). "Nevada man charged with murder in death of Naomi Irion, who was missing for more than two weeks". CNN. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Troy Driver facing new sexual assault charges in Naomi Irion case". KRNV. July 20, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "Troy Driver found competent to stand trial in Naomi Irion's murder". KRNV. November 14, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Watson, Michelle (August 7, 2023). "Man accused of kidnapping and killing Nevada 18-year-old dies by suicide in jail while awaiting trial". CNN. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
- ^ "Troy Driver, Suspect In Murder of Naomi Irion, Dead From Self-Inflicted Asphyxiation". 2 News KTVN. August 7, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.