A year after Noah Pressgrove, the Oklahoma teenager with military aspirations, was found dead on the side of an Oklahoma highway on Labor Day, his cause of death remains a mystery and his family is still hoping for answers about what happened to him.
“I always hoped that he'd gone quickly, that he hadn't suffered,” Pressgrove's sister, Madison Rawlings, told Fox News Digital, “and that his death wasn't the fault of somebody that you loved. All I hope about his final moments is that he wasn't in pain, that it wasn't the fault of somebody that he loved very much, but we'll never really know.”
Pressgrove, 19, was found dead along a rural road on US-81. Jefferson County He died on Labor Day 2023. He was last seen alive that night at a party he attended with friends, but a year later, his family says no one is willing to talk about how he ended up dead along the highway.
“We are exhausted and sick of it all. I understand a year is a long time, but a year is also a short time. But we know we will have sympathy for anyone who knows something. There is no sympathy. They have had enough of this,” Rawlings said.
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Noah Pressgrove's body was discovered along a highway in Oklahoma on Labor Day 2023, but the cause of death is still unknown. (Madison Rawlings/Kristen Smith)
Speaking to Fox News Digital months after her brother's death was reported, Rawlings said she just hopes and prays that someone who knows what happened to her brother will come forward, forgive and move on.
Now, a year later, with no explanation for her brother's death, she has changed her mind.
“I don't know if they're scared or if they feel they can get away with it, but I hope they will speak up now. If we have to get you, you should understand that our families have worked so hard to find you. Imagine the pressure we would have to put on them to get the punishment they so rightly deserve. So I hope they speak up now,” Rawlings added.
Pressgrove graduated from high school three months earlier than planned and had planned to join the military with his cousin.
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The family of Oklahoma teenager Noah Pressgrove is still searching for answers about his death a year later. (Robin Smith)
“I pray every day that God will show the police something so we can put this behind us and work towards new goals. I think whoever did this, they think they're good, fun people. No one can touch me. So I'm prepared for that sense of safety to go away,” Rawlings said.
The coroner released the autopsy findings to the Pressgrove family in April, which the family shared with Fox News Digital. The coroner's report stated: The cause of death is still unknown..
“Considering the circumstances of death, autopsy findings, and toxicology results, the cause of death for Noah Alexander Nichols is multiple blunt force trauma. The deceased was discovered naked, wearing only shoes, on the side of the highway on the morning of September 4, 2023. No vehicle parts or debris were identified at the scene. At this time, it is unknown how a body with multiple blunt force trauma was discovered on the roadway. Therefore, the cause of death is considered undetermined,” the report states.
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The cause of death of 19-year-old Noah Pressgrove of Oklahoma remains unknown one year later. (Madison Rawlings/Kristen Smith)
“Further investigation revealed that on September 3, 2023, the decedent had been drinking alcohol at a house party. The decedent was then riding in an ATV ranger vehicle with several males which was involved in a rollover accident. The decedent was alive after the accident and returned to the party where he became involved in an argument with his girlfriend. The decedent left the house party and was not found until the morning of September 4, 2023 on the side of the highway,” the report continued.
Fox News Digital obtained two 911 calls from drivers who initially thought they saw a deer lying on the side of the road, but later discovered it was human remains.
“It appears someone walking on the highway was hit and is lying on the shoulder of the road,” the caller said. Police Correspondent “Yeah, on my shoulder, felt like I hit someone while walking. Thought it was a deer but looks like a dead body,” one of the recordings said.
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According to a medical examiner's summary report obtained by Fox News Digital, Noah Presgrove died from “multiple blunt force trauma,” but the cause of those injuries remains unknown. (Kristen Smith)
The caller later told dispatchers that the scene looked “very strange.”
Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff Jimmy Williams released a statement to Fox News Digital offering his condolences to Pressgrove's family.
“Myself, the sheriff and everyone at the sheriff's office offer our deepest condolences to Noah's family and friends. This case has weighed heavily on our hearts throughout this past year. I am confident that OHP and OSBI will find resolution and answers for Noah. My office has worked consistently with OHP as information has come to light throughout the year,” he said.
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The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation initially identified Pressgrove Deeming the death “suspicious” However, his official cause of death is listed as “unknown.”
A spokesperson for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, which has taken over the investigation, told Fox News Digital that the investigation is ongoing and that the department would not be commenting further.
“It makes you wonder how much longer it's going to take, and when or if it's going to be resolved,” Rawlings said. “We're all very hopeful. We know someone knows something, we know something has to happen. We really want this to be resolved, and the sooner it's resolved the better, but we're grateful for any progress that's made.”
