Jeremiah Tel Hawthorne, 35, was found dead in the 1300 block of Jackson Street in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on the morning of October 2, 2021. Authorities determined he had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and opened a homicide investigation into the death of the 2004 Mansfield High School graduate, who was remembered by family as a devoted father and a man with a passion for cooking.

Investigators pursued leads for months without a publicly named suspect. Months later, police followed a tip that led them to interview a man in Arizona; during that interview the man reportedly admitted to shooting Hawthorne and provided details consistent with nearby video surveillance. An arrest affidavit was issued in April 2025 charging that man with Jeremiah’s murder.

Jeremiah’s family described him as warm and playful, with a cheerful grin. Does anyone in Fort Smith have information about Jeremiah’s last known movements or the area around Jackson Street on October 2, 2021?