Hailey
The mysterious death of Noah Presgrove, a 19-year-old Marine recruit from Oklahoma, is now at the center of a wrongful death lawsuit that challenges earlier assumptions about how he died.
Presgrove’s nude body was discovered on the side of U.S. Highway 81 near Terral in Jefferson County on September 4, 2023, shortly after a weekend-long Labor Day celebration with friends.
Initial Theories Disputed by New Legal Allegations
Authorities initially speculated that Presgrove may have been hit by a passing vehicle after leaving the party.
However, a lawsuit filed on June 23, 2025, disputes this narrative and claims the teen died from blunt force trauma as a result of being beaten to death. The lawsuit seeks a minimum of $75,000 in damages.
According to the court filing, his death was not caused by a vehicular accident, despite the highway being poorly lit and the lack of any vehicular debris or parts at the scene.
Near his body, investigators found a necklace, teeth, and a pair of basketball shorts — suggesting a violent incident rather than a traffic collision.
Labor Day Party Tied to Underage Drinking and ATV Incident
Presgrove had attended a Labor Day weekend party involving underage drinking, as stated in the lawsuit.
The gathering was allegedly hosted by Avery Howard, Carter Combs, and Logan Jernigan on a property owned by Johnnie Trout Wilcoxson Jr., with the party held inside a trailer belonging to Stevie Howard.
The lawsuit further alleges that during the party, Presgrove rode an ATV while intoxicated, with permission from an individual named Newton.
This ride ended in a rollover accident, as documented in the medical examiner’s report.
“The decedent was at a house party and drinking on September 3, 2023,” the report notes. “He then rode an ATV Ranger vehicle with several men that had a rollover incident. The decedent left the house party and was not found until the morning of September 4, 2023.”
Witness Accounts and Timeline Raise Questions
Following the ATV incident, Presgrove returned to the party, where he was last seen in a verbal altercation with Avery Howard and Newton around 3:41 a.m. on the day of his death, according to the legal complaint.
Despite the sequence of troubling events, none of the named defendants — including Howard, Combs, Jernigan, Wilcoxson, and Stevie Howard — had responded to the lawsuit as of publication. Some also lacked listed legal representation. Attorney Andrew Benedict, who is representing Wilcoxson and Howard, has not issued a public comment.
Autopsy Points to Blunt Force Injuries
The Oklahoma medical examiner’s findings confirmed that Presgrove died from blunt force trauma to the head, torso, and limbs. The lawsuit explicitly claims that one or more individuals physically assaulted him, resulting in his death.
The complaint further accuses two or more defendants of conspiring to attack Presgrove, referring to it as a “civil conspiracy”, though the lawsuit does not provide detailed factual evidence to support the claim that he was fatally beaten.
The death of Noah Presgrove, initially believed to be a tragic accident, is now being legally contested as a potentially violent and deliberate act.
As the wrongful death lawsuit unfolds, it sheds light on a series of troubling events involving underage drinking, reckless behavior, and alleged physical violence. Whether justice will be served remains to be seen as the legal process moves forward.