By: Andy Kozlowski | Roseville-Eastpointe Eastsider | Published April 23, 2026
EASTPOINTE — A local man accused of a stabbing resulting in death last year has pleaded no contest to a charge of second-degree murder.
Nico Trevon Nettles, 27, of Eastpointe, pleaded no contest April 6 during a pretrial conference before Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Faunce. His sentencing will be held June 4.
At press time, his attorney, Joshua Jones, had not answered a request for comment.
The original incident occurred May 12, 2025. According to investigators, Nettles got into a dispute with a 28-year-old Detroit man, Rashid Aliakbar, at a home in Eastpointe, and stabbed Aliakbar in the upper chest with a knife.
Once called to the scene, police immediately began lifesaving measures until paramedics arrived from MedStar and the Eastpointe Fire Department, at which point Aliakbar was transported to Ascension St. John’s Hospital in Detroit. It was there that he died from his injuries.
Corey Haines, the police chief of Eastpointe, lamented how the dispute turned deadly.
“It is tragic that situations like this get out of hand and that they end up costing somebody bodily harm. It’s also sad on the other side because someone may end up in prison,” Haines said. “There is a loss on both sides, and now a family is broken up.”
He encouraged people to let cooler heads prevail.
“There are plenty of resources to try before a dispute reaches that kind of volatility,” Haines said. “People can even call us (at the Eastpointe Police Department) to help mediate any conflict.”
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido shared a similar sentiment.
“While today’s plea marks a step toward resolution, it does not change the tragic reality that a young man has lost his life. In the wake of this unjustified violence, two young lives — and the families who loved them — have been irrevocably impacted,” Lucido said in a prepared statement. “Our office remains steadfast in its commitment to pursuing justice for victims and holding those responsible fully accountable.”