Former Murfreesboro resident arrested for 2023 murder in Cane Ridge Township

UPDATE: A former Murfreesboro resident who later moved to the Cane Ridge community in Davidson County has been arrested in Texas for a murder in Tennessee. The death occurred last year at a home on Cane Ridge Parkway.

In July 2023, Metro Nashville Police responded to a residence and found 29-year-old April Holt unconscious in the bathroom of the home she shared with her husband, 33-year-old Donovan Holt. April had a plastic bag wrapped tightly around her neck when she was discovered. Despite efforts to save her life, she was pronounced dead after being transported to Southern Hills Hospital.

Before her death, April was reportedly involved in an argument with her husband. After the situation appeared to have calmed down hours later, the husband reportedly asked the young son to check on his mother, whereupon she was found unconscious.

Initially, the Nashville Medical Examiner's Office ruled her death a suicide and in November 2023 ruled that she died from complications related to asphyxiation. However, in a recent conversation with a cold case detective, Donovan Holt allegedly confessed to killing his wife.

Following Holt's confession, authorities ruled April Holt's death a murder. A grand jury subsequently indicted Donovan Holt on charges of involuntary manslaughter, tampering with evidence, and making false statements. Since Holt had moved to San Antonio, Texas, after his wife's death, he was arrested there on September 9, 2024. He was extradited to Nashville on Friday, September 20, 2024, and is awaiting a court date.

April's friends and family have fought for justice in her case over the past year and even watched the autopsy, delaying the funeral of their beloved wife. It was not until August 5, 2023 that April Holt could finally be laid to rest. On that day, she was buried at Miller Cemetery in Christiana.

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