Spring Hill, Tenn. – A Spring Hill woman was tragically found dead on January 20, and her boyfriend has been arrested in connection with her death and the death of her unborn child. Authorities say the victim, Ariel Nevills, was seven months pregnant when she was fatally strangled in her home.
According to the Spring Hill Police Department (SHPD), the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office requested a welfare check at the couple’s residence on Gale Lane early that morning after receiving a concerning phone call. Officers discovered Nevills, aged 30, had suffered fatal wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators quickly apprehended her boyfriend, 29-year-old Vidol Wegner of Indiana, who had made the call to authorities. Wegner was arrested on charges of first-degree murder for the deaths of Nevills and her unborn child, as well as one count of felony murder. He is currently being held without bond at the Maury County Jail.
In a statement, Wegner admitted to strangling Nevills in two different ways, resulting in her death and that of their baby. According to the arrest affidavit, Wegner waited until after Nevills had died before leaving the residence.
During an interview with News 2, Wegner appeared to show little remorse for his actions. When questioned about whether he was responsible for Nevills’ death, Wegner initially denied the accusations, later claiming Nevills’ pregnancy had caused the relationship to deteriorate.
“I loved her. I would have taken care of her and the baby. I would have done all of that,” Wegner stated in the interview, despite the fact that he had allegedly expressed dissatisfaction with the pregnancy. According to Wegner, he had previously discussed the possibility of abortion with Nevills, but she chose to keep the baby.
Nevills, originally from Indiana, had served in the Army Reserve and worked as a millwright, a trade she shared with Wegner. Authorities said Nevills had four siblings, whom she cared for, and had been planning to relocate with Wegner to Detroit in hopes of starting a new chapter in their lives.
Wegner, who claimed he was making a substantial income of $10,000 a month, spoke about his vision of a future with Nevills, expressing frustration over her decision to keep the child. “When I started that relationship, I told her, ‘If we get pregnant, are we going to do something about it?’ She said, ‘Yeah,’” Wegner explained.
In response to inquiries about his feelings of remorse, Wegner remained defiant, stating that he had “plenty of remorse” but also reiterated that the situation could have been avoided if Nevills had adhered to their prior agreement regarding the pregnancy.
Wegner has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder—one for Nevills and one for her unborn child—and one count of felony murder. He is set to appear in court on February 3 for a preliminary hearing.
The community has been left reeling by the senseless loss of a young woman and her child. The case remains under investigation as authorities work to piece together the full extent of the circumstances leading up to this tragic incident.
