Trayvone Owens

Trayvone Owens was a 27-year-old Black man from Little Rock, Arkansas, remembered by loved ones as both "goofy" and "solid." A father to two children and a former student of Central High School, his life was brought to a violent end on the evening of May 28, 2024.

That Tuesday, at approximately 8:32 p.m., officers with the Little Rock Police Department’s 12th Street Division responded to reports of a shooting at the intersection of 19th and Battery streets. When they arrived in the 1900 block of West 19th Street, they were informed by emergency communications that a male gunshot victim had already been transported from the scene to a local hospital by a private vehicle. The victim was identified as Trayvone Owens.

At UAMS Medical Center, medical staff fought to save his life, but Owens ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Following his death, homicide detectives were notified and launched a full investigation. They secured the crime scene at the intersection, and the department's Crime Scene Search Unit arrived to collect evidence. Detectives canvassed the area, speaking with potential witnesses and searching for any surveillance video that might have captured the events leading to the fatal shooting. The Pulaski County Coroner’s office later took custody of Owens's body and transported him to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for an autopsy to officially determine the cause and manner of death.

The investigation into the homicide continued for more than a year without a publicly named suspect. On August 6, 2025, the Little Rock Police Department announced a major development, identifying 25-year-old Joshua Jordan as a suspect in Owens's murder. Authorities confirmed that a warrant for capital murder had been issued for Jordan's arrest and asked for the public’s assistance in locating him.

The search for Joshua Jordan became a protracted manhunt that lasted over a year and extended beyond state lines. The search concluded on October 9, 2026, when authorities located and apprehended Jordan, then 26, in Baldwin County, Georgia. He was taken into custody without incident, marking a significant breakthrough in the long-stalled case.

Following his arrest, Jordan was extradited from Georgia back to Little Rock to face the charges against him. Upon his return to Arkansas, he was formally served with the capital murder warrant for the death of Trayvone Owens. Jordan appeared in Little Rock District Court where he pleaded not guilty to the charge. As of October 2026, he was being held without bail at the Pulaski County jail, awaiting trial. While an arrest has been made, police have stated that the investigation remains ongoing.