Thomas Joseph Szafranski was a 29-year-old Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officer who was killed while on duty on May 24, 1981. He was sitting in his patrol car near Davis Street and Sixth Street when a sniper using a high-powered rifle shot him in the head; the wound was fatal and he died at the scene. Szafranski had served with the department for six years and was survived by his mother, sister, and three brothers.

The investigation led to the arrest of Leo Jones, who at one point confessed to the shooting and later recanted, alleging his confession had been coerced. Jones was charged in the killing; during appeals he maintained his innocence and pointed to other individuals’ statements claiming a different man had confessed to the crime. Officer Szafranski’s death remains a reminder of the dangers faced by law enforcement and of the enduring questions surrounding the case.

If anyone knew Officer Szafranski, saw activity near Davis and Sixth on May 24, 1981, or has information about the shooting, please come forward.