James Edward Hubbard Jr., a 50-year-old Black man from Forrest City, Arkansas, was shot to death just steps from his home in the early hours of November 13, 2025. Officers responded about 3:06 a.m. to an unresponsive person inside a black Chevy Malibu parked outside an apartment complex near St. Francis Avenue and found Hubbard slumped over in the driver’s seat with a single gunshot wound to the head. Two spent shell casings were recovered on the passenger-side floorboard, and the St. Francis County coroner pronounced him dead at approximately 4:15 a.m.

Detectives canvassed the complex and surrounding streets, collected evidence from the vehicle, and appealed to the public for tips. Within days police identified and located 54-year-old Jerome McDaniel of Madison; officers arrested him on November 15 and charged him with first-degree murder. No publicly disclosed motive or detailed account of any relationship between Hubbard and the accused had been released in the initial reports.

Community tributes described Hubbard as a steady, warm-hearted neighbor whose sudden loss prompted vigils, online memorials, and gatherings to support his family. Does anyone who lived near South Rosser Street that night have information that could help investigators?