Nashville identifies four suspected Winter Storm Fern victims as power outages and hazards persist citywide

Four deaths under review as storm impacts continue

Nashville officials have identified four people whose deaths are suspected to be connected to Winter Storm Fern, as local agencies continue recovery operations following days of ice, power failures and dangerous travel conditions across Davidson County.

The Metro Nashville Police Department and the Medical Examiner’s Office are reviewing the circumstances in each case to determine whether the storm’s conditions were a contributing factor. The identifications were released after next-of-kin notifications and investigative steps, including fingerprint identification in at least one case.

Who has been identified

The four individuals identified by city officials are:

• Sharon Conyers, 46
• Almaquio Martinez Olivera, 39
• James Mitchell, 92
• Francis Pilkington, 93

What is known about the circumstances

Officials have described the deaths as “suspected” weather-related while investigations continue.

• Conyers was found late Monday morning near the intersection of Lindell and Wedgewood avenues after a passerby alerted an officer. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Early information indicated she may have slid down a small hill.
• Pilkington, in her 90s, was transported to Vanderbilt on Monday from an assisted living residence that had lost power. She had reportedly fallen and was found by staff.
• Martinez Olivera was found unresponsive at a home on Premier Drive on Tuesday with a generator reported running near his bed. He was taken to Vanderbilt and pronounced dead. Responding personnel reported a strong odor of fumes, and the death is being evaluated as potentially consistent with carbon monoxide exposure.
• Mitchell was found Wednesday at his home on Blank Street. A generator had been used to power a small heater via an extension cord. When a family member checked on him, the generator was not running and the home’s temperature was reported to be in the 40s.

City officials emphasized the cases remain under investigation and are being treated as suspected storm-related fatalities pending final determinations.

How this fits into the wider storm response

Winter Storm Fern brought extensive ice accumulation and widespread outages to Middle Tennessee, prompting an extended emergency response focused on power restoration, road safety and access to warming locations for residents without heat. In Nashville, the storm’s aftermath included prolonged utility disruptions affecting large portions of the city.

State emergency management officials have separately tracked weather-related fatalities across Tennessee during the storm period. City officials noted that local investigative timelines and state reporting cycles do not always align, and statewide totals may not immediately reflect newly identified local cases.

Safety concerns highlighted by the cases

The circumstances described by officials underscore recurring hazards during extended outages and freezing conditions, including falls, exposure to low indoor temperatures, and the risks associated with generator use in or near homes. Nashville agencies continued to direct residents to available warming options and to use heating equipment in accordance with safety guidance as recovery operations continued.