The parents and colleagues of a slain Pulaski County deputy sheriff urged anyone with information on his 2011 death to come forward at a Friday news conference.
On April 22, 2011, officers were called about an unconscious person in a vehicle in the 15000 block of Arch Street and found Jason Jackson slumped over in the front seat of a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, authorities said. He had died from an apparent gunshot wound.
In the six years since Jackson's death, there have been no arrests. At a Friday news conference at the Pulaski County sheriff's office, Maj. Carl Minden described Jackson as a "solid individual" who was a sergeant first class and decorated Gulf War veteran, a deputy sheriff, a recruiter with the National Guard and a real estate agent.
He was not someone who would have been the target of a random act of violence, based on his lifestyle, Sgt. Mike Blain said. Authorities have multiple people of interest in the case and think the killing was committed by someone in Jackson's "inner circle," Blain said.
Blain said he believes there are people in the community who know what happened or might have a piece of information to offer, and he urged them to "step forward and do the right thing."
Darryle Hinton and his wife, Penny Hinton, sat with their fingers interlaced while officials spoke about their son. The past six years have been like "a nightmare that you never wake up from," Darryle Hinton said.
Jason's mother described her son as someone with a "giving heart" who was "always willing to help." As a family, they always enjoyed holidays together, including their 2010 Thanksgiving, which Jason hosted for his relatives at his Little Rock home.
Both Hintons urged anyone with information to come forward.
"Nothing that we say or do will bring Jason back," Penny Hinton said. "I don't know who or whom is responsible for it, but I forgive them."
The Hintons have offered a $5,000 reward for anyone with information that leads to a conviction.
Anyone with information can call anonymously at (501) 370-8477.
CORRECTION: Jason Jackson was found in the 15000 block of Arch Street. An earlier version of this story misstated the address.
