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Update: Detectives Continue to Investigate Death of Bethesda Teenager

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Update: December 15, 2017 - The Medical Examiner's Office in Baltimore has ruled Navid Sepehri's death as accidental.  The cause of his death was due to acute alcohol intoxication complicated by drowning and hypothermia.

Montgomery County Police Department – Major Crimes Division detectives continue to investigate the death of 17-year-old Navid Nicholas Sepehri of Radnor Road in Bethesda.  At this time, there is no indication of foul play involved in Sepehri’s death.

During this investigation, detectives learned that 2^nd District (Bethesda) officers responded to the report of a possible underage drinking party and disorderly persons outside of a residence in the 6500 block of Elgin Lane in Bethesda on Saturday, December 9 at approximately 10:30 p.m.  This call for service was captured on officers’ body-worn cameras.

When patrol officers responded to Elgin Lane, they observed a group of approximately six males, who appeared to be juveniles, standing in the roadway.  Some of those juveniles ran away as the officers approached them.  Officers interacted with the males who remained; one of whom was later identified as Sepehri.

At least one of the juveniles stated that there had been a party at a nearby residence and when the adult homeowners (parents) of the residence realized that uninvited guests had brought alcohol to the party, the parents asked everyone to phone their parents for rides home and to leave.  The juveniles explained to officers that they were now waiting for their parents to come and pick them up.

Officers recognized that Sepehri may have been under the influence and confirmed with the juveniles that Sepehri would leave when the juveniles left.  Officers determined that there were no applicable criminal or civil charges to be placed against the juveniles they had encountered and the officers then went to speak with the adults of the home.

The adult male resident of the home where the party had been held was standing in front of his home.  Officers spoke with him, and he confirmed what the juveniles had stated - that uninvited teenagers, most of whom he believed likely learned about the party via social media, had come to the home and when he and the adult female learned that alcohol was present at the party, told everyone to call their parents for a ride and to leave.  Officers walked with the male to the back of the home where it appeared the party, in part, had taken place.  At that time, the adult female exited the home and also engaged in conversation with officers.  The officers did not observe any evidence of an ongoing party.

During the investigation, detectives also determined that Sepehri’s father had come to the 2^nd District station on Sunday, December 10, at approximately 3:23 a.m. regarding his son not coming home Saturday night.  An officer and Mr. Sepehri conversed. There was no missing person report taken at that time.

At approximately 12:46 p.m. on Sunday, December 10, officers took a missing person report for Sepehri.  A police search was initiated, aided by cell phone information for Sepehri’s phone provided by his family.  During the search, at approximately 4:58 p.m., Sepehri was located deceased in a wooded area in the 6500 block of Laverock Lane.  He was found in a stream in a ravine.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of Sepehri’s death.

This remains an ongoing death investigation.  There are additional details of this death investigation that cannot be confirmed at this time.  Anyone with information who has not spoken with detectives is urged to call the Major Crimes Division at 240-773-5070.

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Release ID: 17-418
Media Contact: mcpnews 
Categories: death-investigation