Jackson County murder suspect waives preliminary hearing

The case for the capital murder suspect accused of killing a man in Latimer will be sent to the grand jury after Thomas Stafford waived his preliminary hearing this morning in Jackson County.
The 40-year-old is accused of murdering his roommate, 65-year-old Jerry Kirkendall, by strangulation before stuffing his body into a freezer at a rental house back in March.
Authorities say Stafford also stole Kirkendall’s car, which he sold to his cousin in Alabama before being apprehended in Portland, Oregon and then extradited back to the Gulf Coast. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell said, “It was a hard worked case. Investigators working well with other agencies, along with the U.S. Marshal Service, which were able to continue to follow up, follow up, around the clock which eventually led to the man’s arrest. We’re looking for justice in this matter.”
Stafford’s initial appearance was in April where he was denied bond.