Jason Bird Staples, 44, of Ruston, was found dead on the shoulder at the intersection of Highway 146 and Highway 533 in Claiborne Parish on December 10, 2019. The scene initially suggested a hit-and-run, but investigators determined Staples had sustained two gunshot wounds; spent 9mm shell casings were recovered nearby.

Investigators say Staples’s vehicle had broken down that night and an acquaintance, Timothy Howell, gave him a ride with the stated intention of buying drugs. Ballistics testing linked the two bullets in Staples’s body to a Hi-Point 9mm owned by Howell, and a spent casing found by the body matched a casing from Howell’s truck. Howell was indicted in June 2020, tried in September 2021, convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to mandatory life without parole.

The motive for the shooting has not been established. If anyone knew Staples, his movements that night, or the people he was with, please share what was seen or heard.