Jamie Stephens, a 31-year-old man from Rockford, Illinois, was murdered on December 7, 2018, and his body was discovered three days later in a line of trees near the 9200 block of Knapp Road, close to Edwards Apple Orchard West. The autopsy found multiple gunshot wounds, including two to his side, and investigators concluded the body had been intentionally dumped at that location.

Surveillance footage from a Mobil on Sandy Hollow near 11th Street showed Stephens getting into a Chrysler 300 registered to 26-year-old Nickles T. Parks. Parks later admitted picking Stephens up. The vehicle was recovered from another person’s garage with human blood and five bullet holes inside. Investigators say the shooting stemmed from an attempt to recover jewelry reported stolen from the girlfriend’s roommate; Parks and another man went to retrieve the items and, during the encounter, Parks allegedly shot Stephens and then drove to Knapp Road to dispose of the body.

Three people were charged in connection with the homicide. Nickles T. Parks faced First Degree Murder, Armed Robbery, and Concealment of a Homicidal Death; Joshua J. Whittie was charged with First Degree Murder but pleaded guilty to Armed Robbery and received a 20-year sentence; Amber Brewer faced charges including Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Unlawful Restraint, and Concealment of a Homicidal Death. Does anyone have information about Stephens’ last known movements or the events at the Mobil that day?