FBI Still Seeking Clues in Murder of Columbus Native

By Dale Gathright, Jr., 04/12/20 5:23 PM

 

LITTLE ROCK – Easter Sunday marked the year and a half anniversary of the death of Jerry Richard Stuart of Maumelle, a Columbus (Hempstead County) native, Saratoga High School graduate, and a person the FBI described as a  “valued member of our community and husband to FBI employee Cynthia Stuart.”

Recently, investigators have released additional surveillance images captured from the neighborhood where Stuart lived.

The FBI went on to say, “At the time of his death, Jerry was 60 years old, a loving father and husband, and a dedicated employee of Glazer’s Distribution. Jerry was an athlete who in 1980 had qualified for the Olympic Track and Field Team. Jerry graduated from Henderson State University and was due to receive the Black Alumni Association Award from Henderson State University when he died. Shortly before his death, he also became a deacon in a local Baptist church.”

On Columbus Day, October 12, 2018, at 4:45 a.m. officers from the Maumelle Police Department responded to a 911 call from Cynthia and her neighbors, who had found Jerry severely injured, lying in his driveway where he had been getting into his car to leave for work. Stuart had been fatally shot and stabbed.

Since that time, the Maumelle Police Department and the FBI have jointly worked together to solve the case. Authorities have developed and investigated a number of leads. The incident yielded a significant amount of physical evidence, which was collected and submitted to forensic laboratories.

The FBI provided this narrative: Investigators believe the person involved in this incident knew Jerry and had some kind of grudge against Jerry in the days or weeks preceding Jerry’s death. Video evidence suggests that this person was watching Jerry’s house and waiting for the right opportunity to act. A vehicle of interest was identified on surveillance video entering Jerry’s neighborhood 90 minutes before the incident and leaving quickly after. That same vehicle was spotted on surveillance video entering and exiting the neighborhood around the same time frame the day before the incident and again two days before the incident.

“People around this person may have noticed certain pre- and post-offense behaviors. For instance, this person would have been absent from his home between the hours of 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. not only on the day of the incident but also in the two days prior. You might have noticed this person arriving late to work or not showing up at all. You also might have been aware of the underlying grudge between the individual and Jerry but did not connect it to Jerry’s death,” according to the FBI statement. “In the days immediately following the incident, you may have noticed a change in behavior for this person including suddenly departing the area; changes in mood or demeanor; changes in lifestyle patterns; changes in use of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs; and withdrawal from social contact with others. This person may have changed their appearance, such as hair style or facial hair. This person may also be paying a lot of attention to the media regarding this case. We ask that you pause for a moment, think back to the time of the incident, consider anyone who might fit the person we have described, and help the community bring closure to this investigation and help us understand why this occurred to such an outstanding member of our community.”

If you have any information related to this investigation, contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324). A reward of up to $15,000 is being offered for information that leads to the resolution of this investigation.

The FBI statement added, “We continue to bring every resource we have to bear to solve this investigation, and we will continue to work together with our community and with the Maumelle Police Department until this matter is solved.”