Michael D. Mosley: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Michael D. Mosley was named by Nashville police as the man they want to question in connection with the double stabbing of Clayton Beathard and Paul Trapeni outside a Nashville, Tennessee bar. Beathard, the quarterback for Long Island University, was the brother of NFL QB C.J. Beathard.

Mosley has now been taken into custody. He was found in a vacant home in Ashland City, Tennessee.

Beathard was 22 and Trapeni was 21. Both were from Williamson County, Tennessee, and both had promising futures. The double stabbing occurred outside Midtown’s Dogwood Bar on early December 21, 2019.

Mosley has a violent criminal history that includes a jail riot.

“Detectives are seeking Michael D. Mosley, 23, for questioning in Saturday morning’s double fatal stabbing outside The Dogwood Bar, 1907 Division St. The stabbings occurred during a fight outside the bar. The investigation shows Mosley was present…” Metro Nashville PD wrote on Twitter on the evening of December 22, 2019. That was before Mosley was located. Police later added, “Arrest warrants are being sworn out charging Michael D. Mosley, 23, with 2 counts of criminal homicide and 1 count of attempted criminal homicide for the stabbing of 3 men outside The Dogwood Bar early Saturday. See Mosley? Pls call 615-742-7463.”

Here’s what you need to know:

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1. The Incident Started Because Mosley Made an Unwanted Advance Toward a Woman, Police Say

Police revealed: “The dispute began over an unwanted advancement made by a man toward a woman in the bar.” Police later said it was Mosley who made the unwanted advance. The woman was a friend of the victims, police say.

Anyone seeing Michael Mosley or knowing his whereabouts “is asked to contact the Emergency Communications Center at 615-862-8600, or Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Mosley is last known to have lived in Pegram,” wrote police. Pegram is a small community of about 2,000 people located in Cheatham County, Tennessee.

Police say the incident that led to the stabbing deaths started over a woman inside the Dogwood Bar & Grill, 1907 Division Street. Police gave this account:

“Midtown Hills Precinct detectives investigating Saturday morning’s fatal stabbing of two men during a fight outside The Dogwood Bar at 1907 Division Street are asking for the public’s assistance in locating Michael D. Mosley, 23, who is strongly believed to have definitive information about the murders and is being sought for questioning only at this time,” they say.

“Mosley has been identified as being present both inside and outside of The Dogwood Bar, including when the fight occurred. Mosley is the person who was talking with the woman at the bottom of the screen in the video released by the MNPD Saturday night. Efforts to locate Mosley, who is last known to have lived in Pegram, have been unsuccessful thus far. Anyone seeing Mosley or knowing his whereabouts is asked to immediately contact the Emergency Communications Center at 615-862-8600.”

Here is that video:

When they released the video, police wrote, “Midtown Hills Precinct detectives investigating this morning’s fatal stabbing of two men outside The Dogwood Bar at 1907 Division Street are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying four persons, three men and a woman, wanted for questioning in the case. From black and white surveillance video inside the bar, the four persons appear to be acquaintances. Two of the men, one wearing a Nike sweatshirt, the other a puffy jacket, are seen in the video standing in front of a booth in the center of the bar. The other man and the woman are at the bottom of the video and eventually join their friends in front of the booth. Anyone knowing the identities of these persons is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.”

They added later: “The police department has received a number of tips from citizens Saturday and today. That information has led to the identification of the persons seen in the video Saturday night, with the exception of the man in the Nike sweatshirt. Efforts continue to positively identify him.”

Police continued, “Clayton Beathard, 22, and Paul Trapeni III, 21, were stabbed shortly before 3 a.m. They died after being rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. A third stabbing victim, Alvin Jefferson (A.J.) Bethurum, 21, suffered injuries to his eye and arm and is continuing to recover.”

Earlier, Nashville PD had released a picture of a person of interest after the two deaths, writing in a statement on Twitter, “Do you know this man wanted for questioning in the double fatal stabbings of Clayton Beathard, 22, & Paul Trapeni III, 21, during a fight early Sat. involving multiple persons outside Dogwood Bar, 1907 Division St? Please call 615-742-7463 if you recognize him.”

Here are all of the stills that police released individually from the surveillance video:

According to Newsday, the fight broke out at 2:50 a.m. fight and involved “multiple people.”

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2. Mosley Has a Past Criminal History that Involves a Stabbing

At the time of the murders, Mosley was out on bail for a felony charge on accusations he kicked a woman in a Walmart.

In 2015, Nashville police released details of a serious incident involving Mosley stabbing someone. “Accused violent fugitives Edward Luna and Michael Mosley are now jailed after SWAT officers assigned to the Special Response Team located them late Saturday night at a tattoo shop in the 3800 block of Dickerson Pike,” police said in that old news release.

“Officers watched as Luna and Mosley moved in and out of a stolen Honda parked in front of the business. At 7:30 p.m., the Special Response Team, assisted by canine units, surrounded the location and moved in to make the arrests. Luna was apprehended without incident. Mosley took off toward a wooded area and was apprehended by police dog Dooley and his partner, Officer Ron Black.”

Mosley, then 18, was “considered armed and dangerous after an incident early Wednesday morning on Colt Drive in Bellevue where Mosley is alleged to have stabbed a man in the stomach before Luna shot him in the arm during a dispute relating to Luna’s 14-month-old daughter.” Mosley’s name is sometimes spelled Mosely in past reports.

In 2018, Mosley was accused of grabbing his cousin by the hair and slamming her head into a dressed because he was upset about a Facebook post she made. He ended up with a criminal charge of a misdemeanor of domestic assault with bodily injury, according to WSMV-TV.

That’s just a start of it. Tennessee court records reviewed by Heavy show multiple accusations going back years. They include accusations of attempted burglary, probation violation, and evading arrest.

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3. Mosley Was Part of a Jail Riot After an Altercation With a Man Accused of Murdering His Brother

In March 2019, Mosley was part of a Cheatham County jail fight. Inmates “brokek down the door of a cell using a bed frame,” according to WVLT-TV. It said that the fight started between Danny Baker and Michael Mosley. An old News Channel 5 article reported that Mosley was related to the person Baker was accused of killing.

The man Baker was accused of killing was Greg Sanders, who was shot as he walked up to a residence. Michael Mosley is listed as the brother of Sanders in this obituary which details multiple siblings.

In contrast, the victims had a lot going for them. Beathard was a football player, playing the game for Long Island University and Battleground Academy, where he went to high school. Beathard was majoring in sports managing, according to his LIU profile.

His brother, CJ, is the QB of the San Francisco 49ers. In addition, according to The Tennessean, Clay’s brother Tucker Beathard is a country musician and their father, Casey, is a country music songwriter.

That’s not where the family’s accomplishments end, though. Clay’s grandpa was Bobby Beathard who, according to The Tennessean, was a general manager who is in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Rhodes Student Government announced on its Facebook page that Trapeni was a member of the class of 2020. Dr. Paul D. Trapeni Jr., an optometrist in Smyrna, was his father. Trapeni’s Facebook page says he was working in computer sales at Best Buy while in college and indicated that he is from Franklin, Tennessee.

Paul’s sister Caroline Mitchell told WKRN in a statement: “Paul Douglas was a senior at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee expecting to graduate in May of 2020. He was majoring in Political Science and had big plans for law school after graduation. Paul Douglas grew up in Franklin, Tennessee and was a ‘lifer’ at Battle Ground Academy, from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Paul Douglas had a heart of gold and the absolute best sense of humor. He was empathetic almost to a fault, and he bent over backwards just to make somebody else feel loved, whether it was his oldest friend or the woman he just met at the gas station that asked for a hot dog.”

“We are heartbroken that Paul Trapeni, a beloved member of the Class of 2020, has passed away. Paul was an integral part of student life at Rhodes and a selfless volunteer in the Memphis community. He served as a Summer Service Fellow and helped many find legal services. His presence will be missed by every student, professor, faculty member, and friend he came across,” the statement says.

“RSG extends its condolences to Paul’s family and friends, especially the Beathard family. No loss is easy to bear, but no one has to bear it alone. The student counseling center is there to support and help anyone, as is the office of the Chaplain. While this is a sad day, let us recognize that our Rhodes community is a brighter place for having known Paul.”

Lee Campbell wrote, “I was shocked and saddened to learn today that one of the two young men that were stabbed to death near the Music Row area in Nashville was the son of Dr. Paul Trapeni, Jr. Dr. Trapeni has been my optometrist beginning exactly thirty years ago when we first moved to Smyrna. Dr. Paul is a wonderful person and after thirty years I consider him not only professionally, but as a friend. His son, Paul III was a student at Rhodes College in Memphis. Please join me in keeping Paul and his family in our thoughts and prayers.”

A friend wrote, “Wow… Paul Trapeni… Rest In Peace brother, you had a ton of life in front of you…”

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4. Both of the Deceased Victims Were Graduates of Battleground Academy

Battleground Academy, a K-12 independent college preparatory, wrote on Facebook that both victims graduated from there.

“It is with deep sadness that we inform you that BGA alumni Clay Beathard ‘16 and Paul Trapeni ‘16 died early this morning following an attack in Nashville. A third alumnus was transported to the hospital following the attack. We offer our condolences and deepest sympathy to the Beathard and Trapeni families. We also offer our prayers and support to their BGA classmates, teammates, teachers, coaches, and friends,” the school wrote.

“We understand this unexpected and devastating news may be difficult to reconcile. We are making counselors available at BGA at 3:00 this afternoon in the Harlin Student Center if you feel the need to talk to someone about this tragedy. Out of respect to the families, BGA will have no further comment at this time.”

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5. The 49ers Released a Statement Expressing Heartfelt Sympathies

“We extend our heartfelt sympathies to C.J. and the entire Beathard family as they cope with the unthinkable loss of a loved one,” said the 49ers organization in a statement. It said CJ was traveling home to be with his family.

The family is based in Tennessee.

Other tributes flowed in for the victims.

LIU football coach Bryan Collins tweeted, “Heartbreaking Day. Our Family is hurting. All of my thoughts and prayers are with the Beathard Family. Clay you will be remembered always. Love our Sharks.”