Louis Nix III dead: Ex-Notre Dame star told girlfriend Ketarah Reed he was with friends before he went missing
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA: The family of 29-year-old former NFL player Louis Nix III has confirmed that he is dead, according to reports. Speaking to news outlets, a member of the family reportedly said that Nix is "gone".
A car matching Nix's car — a silver Hyundai — was reportedly fished out of a pond in Broxton Bay Drive. The car was removed by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office's dive team and the car also matched the tag number of Nix's car. The JSO tweeted on Saturday, February 27, at 8 pm that they had located Nix, however, at that time they had not indicated where Nix was found or in what state.
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Initially, the sheriff's office had tweeted, "#JSO is seeking information regarding the whereabouts of missing adult Louis Nix (Black/Male, 29), who was reported missing on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. It is possible that he is driving a 2014 Gray Hyundai Azera (FL JGFM41). Call 904-630-0500 with information."
They then tweeted out an update and said, "**UPDATE: The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has located Louis Nix. Thank you to all who shared his photo and information.**"
**UPDATE: The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has located Louis Nix. Thank you to all who shared his photo and information.** pic.twitter.com/bhyz9W56Um
— Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) February 28, 2021
Nix had been missing since Wednesday, February 24. His mother and brother were quoted by News4Jax as confirming that the last time they been in touch with Nix was on Tuesday, February 23. He was supposed to meet his brother at his father's home, however, he had ended up leaving before his brother arrived. He also did not inform his family where he was going.
Nix's brother had said, "We kind of missed each other because once he got there, I had left to get something to eat, and I was on the way back, but he had already left by then." The sheriff's office also confirmed that patrol officers arrived at 42nd Street West on Wednesday, February 24, following reports of a missing adult and that their efforts in locating Nix had been unsuccessful.
Nix was a defensive tackle at the University of Notre Dame who played two seasons in the NFL. According to reports, Nix was drafted in the third round of the 2014 NFL draft, and 83rd overall, by the Houston Texans. He played one year with the Texans before the New York Giants picked him up off waivers in 2015.
He was signed to Washington’s practice squad in 2016 and returned home to Jacksonville when the Jaguars added him to their practice squad later in 2016. He was cut by the Jaguars in May 2017.
Who is Ketarah Reed?
Before his death, Nix had been living with his girlfriend Ketarah Reed. The last that Reed had heard from Nix was on Tuesday, February 23, when he had said that he would return home after hanging out with some friends.
She said, "The intentions were he was coming back here so we could just hang out, but he just never made it here," and added, "I texted and I was, like, ‘Are you good’, and he never texted me back, so I start calling and then his phone was ringing, and it just completely went out.”
She had shared that he had not been acting out of the ordinary and had also said that it was unlike Nix to not stay in touch. She stressed, "I’m with him every single day,” and added “I’ve been with him since 2017. I know how he is.”
Reed also referred to the incident that occurred in December when Nix had been shot at a gas station away from the pond and said, "He just got shot by some random people in December,” further adding “We still are recovering from that, and then this happens.” When this incident had occurred, not only did Nix say that he did not know the suspects, he had also reportedly said that it was random.