Police identify suspect in fatal stabbing in south Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) – Police on Friday afternoon revealed the identity of a suspect who allegedly stabbed and killed a woman in south Nashville.

Nashville police arrested Roy Lomax Gardner of Florida for allegedly assaulting and stabbing a woman in the face at 5:15 a.m. after they sat together on a bus bench on Harding Place on Antioch Pike. Police said surveillance video showed they both stood up as the bus approached and Gardner attacked the woman without provocation.

According to WeGo, a bus operator witnessed the incident and stopped the bus. Police said they were able to arrest the suspect because those in an adjacent parking lot heard the woman’s scream and held Gardner until officers arrived.

The WeGo bus was not involved in the incident itself.

“WeGo management and staff are saddened by today’s tragic incident at a bus stop in Harding Place,” WeGo officials said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the victim. We assist the MNPD in its ongoing investigation and emphasize that the safety of our passengers and employees is paramount.”

Gardner was injured when witnesses subdued him until officers arrived, police said. He was admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Authorities will charge him with murder upon his release from the hospital.

Police said Gardner had criminal records in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. They said they weren’t sure when he came to Tennessee.

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