In the quiet town of Comanche, Oklahoma, just south of Oklahoma City, a family continues to search for answers nearly two years after a devastating loss. Noah Presgrove was only 19 years old when his life came to a tragic and mysterious end following a Labor Day weekend party in September 2023. The circumstances surrounding his death remain clouded in contradictions, questionable behavior, and details that simply don't add up.
As I've researched this heartbreaking case, I've been struck by how a celebration could turn so dark, and how the truth seems to be hiding in plain sight, just beyond reach. Today, I want to share Noah's story—not just how his life ended, but who he was and why the quest for answers matters so deeply.
Who Was Noah Presgrove?
Before diving into the mystery, it's important to understand who Noah was. Standing 6'2" with an athletic build, Noah had graduated high school in spring 2023. He was a four-sport athlete who particularly excelled in American football and wrestling. According to his family, Noah possessed that rare combination of qualities that made him both likable and memorable—he was handsome, adventurous, kind, and had a playful streak that often resulted in pranks on his family members.
Noah had plans for his future. He was waiting for his cousin to graduate high school the following year so they could enlist in the Marine Corps together. A young man with dreams of serving his country, Noah lived with his grandmother and by all accounts had a good relationship with his family.
He was, in many ways, a typical 19-year-old—social, sometimes impulsive, enjoying the freedom that comes with early adulthood while still figuring out his path forward.
A Fateful Decision
Labor Day weekend 2023 presented Noah with a choice. He could attend Rocklahoma, a popular three-day hard rock and metal festival in Pryor, Oklahoma, with family members, or he could attend a four-day Labor Day bash doubling as a 22nd birthday party for a female friend.
Initially, Noah had considered Rocklahoma, but when his family members expressed concerns about Noah bringing his 16-year-old friend to an event known for alcohol consumption, Noah changed his plans. This seemingly mundane decision—the kind we all make regularly without a second thought—would set in motion a chain of events that ended with Noah's death.
The Party: Saturday and Sunday
The birthday party had been advertised on Snapchat, complete with the address, ensuring a sizable turnout. Noah drove himself to the celebration on Saturday and appeared to enjoy himself, though he did text a family member at Rocklahoma expressing some regret about not joining them. Still, by all accounts, this didn't significantly dampen his spirits at the house party.
On Sunday, Noah returned home briefly—likely to freshen up, check in with his grandmother, and also to leave his car, which had been leaking oil. What happened next is where the first inconsistencies appear in the narrative.
According to one version of events, a friend picked Noah up from his house and took him to a truck stop so he could grab food from Sonic, then left him there. Supposedly, the birthday girl herself had to come pick Noah up and take him to the party. A second, conflicting account states that Noah's best friend picked him up from his house and drove him directly to the party, leaving him in the driveway.
Either way, Noah returned to the celebration on Sunday. Videos from the party show typical young adult behavior—playing drinking games like beer pong, engaging in "macho" activities like the "Slap Game" where participants take turns slapping each other across the face, and general revelry as the alcohol flowed freely.
Tensions Rise
As is often the case at parties with heavy drinking, interpersonal tensions began to surface. Two confrontations involving Noah occurred:
- Noah and his best friend had an argument after Noah was spotted in a corner talking privately with the best friend's girlfriend, their backs turned to the rest of the party. Though the argument was heated, they reportedly reconciled shortly afterward.
- A physical altercation erupted between Noah and a 16-year-old guest who accused Noah of hiding his phone. During this confrontation, the teenager "fishhooked" Noah (putting a finger in Noah's mouth and pulling at the cheek), and Noah bit the boy's finger in response. The situation was eventually defused when the phone was found underneath a sleeping party guest.
As the party continued and more alcohol was consumed, the behavior became increasingly uninhibited. At one point, female guests began writing on Noah's body, signing their names on his torso and buttocks, writing phrases like "Noah's hot!" and even drawing a cartoon penis on his rear end.
Noah and the best friend he had argued with earlier drove a John Deere "Gator" UTV around the property until Noah scraped his hand in a near-accident. Some accounts suggest Noah was actually thrown from the vehicle, though a nurse who was present at the party examined him and determined there was nothing serious to worry about.
Another noteworthy interaction involved the birthday girl herself, who apparently had a crush on Noah. When Noah discussed this with her, he allegedly called her a "fat, nasty b*tch"—perhaps revealing the complicated dynamics of their friendship. Strangely, the birthday girl's mother later told Noah's family that she believed Noah wanted her sexually, an odd and inappropriate comment to make about a 19-year-old friend of her daughter.
The Mystery Begins
The events that unfolded in the early hours of Monday, September 4, 2023, remain shrouded in contradiction and mystery.
According to party guests, after 2:00 AM, Noah became upset about something related to sleeping arrangements. Either the birthday girl or her mother found Noah attempting to sleep in one of their beds and demanded he sleep on the floor instead. This allegedly upset Noah to the point that he decided to go for a walk—despite being heavily intoxicated and it being the middle of the night.
The guests claim Noah was wearing his best friend's shorts and could only find one of his own shoes, so he grabbed another shoe lying around the house before heading out the front door. The property had a half-mile-long driveway leading to US-81, a major highway running through the central United States.
At 3:41 AM, someone at the party posted a disturbing Snapchat: a photo of a girl smiling with the caption "well, Noah's missing." This was the last social media post from any partygoer after days of constant photos and videos.
A Grim Discovery
Around 5:00 AM, a semi-truck driver traveling along US-81 spotted what appeared to be a body on the shoulder of the road. Concerned, the driver turned around to confirm what he'd seen. By the time he returned, two other vehicles had already stopped where Noah's lifeless body lay.
The scene was as disturbing as it was puzzling. Noah was completely naked except for two mismatched shoes. His body was curled in a fetal position, with apparent blunt force trauma to the back of his head. His fingertips on both hands were described as "shredded down to the bone." Noah's front teeth—both top and bottom—had been knocked out and were scattered at the scene.
Strangely, there was very little blood found, only small amounts around his injuries. And perhaps most tellingly, there was no trace of the writing that partygoers had covered his body with hours earlier—no names, phrases, or drawings remained on his torso or buttocks.
His shorts—allegedly his best friend's—were found neatly folded next to his body. When questioned about this, party guests suggested, "They must've been knocked off when he was hit"—an explanation that defies logic and physics.
The Aftermath and Investigation
By 6:00 AM, with police already at the scene, all Snapchat posts and other social media content from people at the party began disappearing. Partygoers claimed they had no idea what happened to Noah and were unaware of his death.
Initially, police did not search the house where the party took place, stating simply that "Noah wasn't found there." When they eventually conducted a group interview with all the partygoers, alarming inconsistencies emerged:
- The best friend's girlfriend—the same one involved in Noah's first confrontation—told police she had never met Noah. She had wiped her phone so completely that even her boyfriend's number had been deleted.
- When questioned about Noah being naked, female guests claimed they had given Noah a "shower." However, accounts of Noah's state during this shower varied wildly—some said he was joking around and being himself, while others suggested he was barely conscious.
- Noah's clothing from the party was never found. Police were told that after Noah showered, his clothes were dirty, so he wore his friend's shorts instead.
Perhaps most disturbing are the rumors surrounding Noah's personal effects. There were reports that the best friend's father found Noah's shirt from the party, cut it up, and distributed pieces to party attendees as "mementos." This same individual allegedly had some of Noah's teeth in his pocket, claiming he "accidentally" picked them up from the crime scene. This person has reportedly been arguing with people on Noah's family's Facebook memorial page for months—strange behavior from an adult whose son's best friend died under mysterious circumstances.
In a detail that speaks volumes, none of the partygoers or their families have ever visited Noah's family to express condolences.
The Investigation Deepens
As police began their work, they obtained a "geofence" warrant covering a 1.5-mile radius around the party house. The findings were disturbing: around the time Noah is believed to have died, two phones were traced leaving the house, traveling to the location where Noah's body was found, briefly remaining there, and then returning to the house.
When questioned about this by a private investigator hired by Noah's family, people at the party claimed they had gone out looking for Noah in the UTV/Gator. However, if this were true, they would have found him, as the phone data places them at the exact spot where his body was discovered.
The Texas Rangers became involved in the case because two men at the party were from Texas, though it's unknown if they are considered persons of interest. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol issued a warrant for a "black pickup truck" believed to have been used to transport Noah's body, though the specific reasons for this focus haven't been made public.
Authorities have explicitly stated that this was "100% NOT a hit-and-run" and, more puzzlingly, that it is "NOT a murder investigation."
The Medical Examiner's Findings
On May 13, 2024, more than eight months after Noah's death, the Medical Examiner's report was released. It concluded that Noah died from "Multiple Blunt Force injuries" but listed the manner of death as "unknown."
The report detailed extensive trauma to Noah's body:
- 10 broken ribs
- Serious skull, neck, and spine fractures
- Internal bleeding
- Brain and organ damage
- Cuts and abrasions across his body
Most telling was the presence of air in both Noah's cranial cavity and spinal cord—extremely rare conditions that result only from massive head trauma.
Noah's family has heard rumors that a golf club from a set in his best friend's truck may have been involved in causing these injuries, though this hasn't been confirmed by officials.
A Family's Quest for Truth
In the face of contradictions, missing evidence, and seemingly deliberate obstruction, Noah's family has engaged a private investigator who has uncovered previously unknown information and shared it with police. According to the family, some evidence has been either covered up or lost, and the day after the party, the birthday girl's house and property reportedly reeked of bleach.
Despite these challenges, the family maintains hope, stating that "good things are going on behind the scenes" of the investigation.
Unanswered Questions
Nearly two years after Noah's death, critical questions remain:
- Why were Noah's clothes never found, and why was all writing on his body completely removed?
- Who were the two people whose phones traveled to the location of Noah's body, and why did they go there?
- Why would Noah's shorts be neatly folded beside his naked body if he had been hit by a vehicle or assaulted?
- How did Noah sustain such extensive injuries with minimal blood at the scene?
- Why did party attendees delete all social media content and, in some cases, wipe their phones completely?
- What prompted the strange behavior of the best friend's father regarding Noah's shirt and teeth?
- Why has no one from the party ever expressed condolences to Noah's family?
- If this isn't considered a murder investigation, what exactly do authorities believe happened?
A Community Waits for Answers
Cases like Noah's often hinge on the three factors his family has identified: time, pressure, and guilt. Eventually, someone who knows what happened that night may speak up—whether due to a guilty conscience, pressure from media attention, or simply the passage of time loosening tight-lipped silence.
For now, the town of Comanche and Noah's loved ones are left to wonder what truly happened to a promising young man with dreams of serving his country. A teenager who, like so many before him, attended a party with friends and never made it home.
Sources
https://kfor.com/news/local/m-e-releases-more-details-in-19-year-olds-death/