ATLANTA — Local authorities have apprehended a 30-year-old man implicated in the killing of Samuel Jackson, 59, a former basketball coach renowned for his tenure at Georgia’s Fort Valley State University. The suspect, Iquane Brown, faces multiple charges including murder, aggravated assault, and kidnapping among others.
Jackson, remembered for his significant contributions to college basketball at Fort Valley State, was reported missing by his family on January 27. Concerns grew after his wife, Jill Jackson, disclosed that she last communicated with him on January 26, when he was about to start his shift as an Uber Eats driver.
His whereabouts became a point of intense investigation after his vehicle, a BMW, was discovered in a disheveled state at an apartment complex in Bonaire, Georgia. Items inside the car were found scattered, adding a layer of mystery to his sudden disappearance.
In a desperate bid to locate his father, Jackson’s son, Desmond, leveraged technology to trace his mobile phone to Atlanta. According to Desmond, he managed to retrieve Jackson’s location history from his Gmail account, which indicated that his phone was last detected off Bolton Road in Atlanta.
Following this lead, the Atlanta Police Department initiated an exhaustive search in the region suggested by the phone’s ping on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. The search concluded tragically when officers discovered a man, later identified as Jackson, deceased from multiple gunshot wounds. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the identity of the victim.
At the time of his arrest, Brown was already detained in the Houston County Jail on charges unrelated to Jackson’s death. His extensive list of charges in connection to this case includes the hijacking of a motor vehicle and illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This incident has stirred considerable attention and sorrow within the local community and among alumni and staff of Fort Valley State University. Jackson, who had transitioned from coaching to delivering food, was remembered as a dedicated mentor and a positive force in the lives of many young athletes.
The case continues to develop as investigators piece together the events leading to Jackson’s tragic death. Legal proceedings against Brown are expected to unfold, providing some measure of closure to a community shaken by the loss of a figure as beloved as Samuel Jackson.