On the evening of Friday, April 3, 2026, a dispute that began over a trivial matter tragically escalated, ending the life of 59-year-old Jerry Hightower. A white male from Trion, Georgia, Hightower was a self-employed construction worker. On that particular evening, he was engaged in maintenance work on Ridgewood Street in Rossville, a community located in Walker County, Georgia, near the Tennessee border. The incident unfolded shortly after 9 p.m.
as Hightower utilized a bright work light for his tasks. The light, however, shone into a neighboring home, sparking a heated argument with a resident.
The verbal confrontation quickly turned violent, culminating in Hightower being fatally shot in the front yard of the residence where he was working. When Walker County deputies were dispatched to the scene following reports of a shooting, they discovered Hightower deceased. Witnesses at the location were quick to direct the authorities to the suspected shooter, who was found sitting on his own porch across the street from the scene of the incident.
The suspect was identified as 49-year-old James Richard Nowlin. He was taken into custody by law enforcement without any resistance. Nowlin has since been charged with murder in connection with the death of Jerry Hightower. He is currently being held at the Walker County Jail, where he has been denied bond. The investigation into the fatal shooting is reportedly still ongoing as authorities continue to piece together the events of that night.
