Suspect named in Jackson County murder

The search is on for a man wanted in connection to the body found in a freezer in the Latimer community on Monday. News 25’s Kendra Turley brings us the latest details on the suspect and the victim.
A chilling discovery inside of a house in Latimer Monday morning leads to a man hunt involving multiple agencies. Authorities issued a capital murder warrant for 40-year-old Thomas Elliot Stafford in connection to a body found inside of a freezer at a house on Althea Street. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell said, “The scene shows that there was evidence of a homicide and we’re not going to release a lot of the details that we have, but we feel confident in the charges that we’ve made.”
The victim is identified as Jerry Floyd Kirkendall, a 65-year-old man who moved into the house a few months ago. The landlord for the property says the suspect and the victim were good friends and even drinking buddies. Although he’s only known the two for a short period of time, he never sensed any tension or witnessed any confrontation.
Still in awe, Kirkendall’s family stopped by the house to gather what little belongings he had inside of the home. Landlord Michael Wood said, “Yeah they were pretty upset. It was three ladies and one of them, he called her his daughter, but they were just good friends.”
As investigators work to find a clear motive and the cause of death, they’re asking for the community to keep their eyes open for a stolen vehicle. “At this time, it appears that he is on the run and may be driving the victim’s Cadillac which is a 2001 Cadillac Seville SLS,” said Sheriff Ezell.
Stafford has a criminal history in several other states. Investigators entered his information into the National Crime Information Center and hope these pictures lead to a speedy arrest. “If you know him, if you know of him, call local law enforcement and let us do our jobs because it wouldn’t be safe to approach this guy,” said Sheriff Ezell.