In the late hours of November 20, 2023, the life of Robert Louis Overton, Jr., a 28-year-old Black male from Little Rock, Arkansas, was tragically cut short. Just after midnight, officers responded to a shooting at a Citgo gas station on Baseline Road. There, they found Overton on the ground, having sustained fatal gunshot wounds in what was later determined to be a drive-by shooting.
Known affectionately as 'Pooh Bear' to his loved ones, Overton was a graduate of J.A.
Fair High School, class of 2012. He was a man of faith, having been baptized at Sharon Missionary Baptist Church. His family was central to his life, and he was known for his protective and encouraging nature towards his eight sisters. He had a passion for physical fitness, enjoying bodybuilding, weight training, and running. His sudden death, the 59th homicide in Little Rock that year, left his family devastated, a pain that was compounded by the way they learned of his passing.
The family's grief was intensified when they were not immediately notified of his death by authorities. Concern grew when he did not show up for Thanksgiving dinner. It was only after filing a missing person's report on what would have been his 29th birthday that they learned through social media that he had been the victim of the shooting. This distressing experience added another layer of sorrow to their loss.
Investigators, through diligent police work, were able to identify a suspect. Surveillance footage from the scene showed a Nissan Maxima that had been in the vicinity for up to an hour before the shooting. From this vehicle, the fatal shots were fired. Through the video evidence and a distinctive leg tattoo, authorities identified 40-year-old Joseph Walker of Sherwood as the suspect. A search of Walker's belongings revealed a rifle and 'green tip' ammunition that matched the projectiles found at the crime scene. On November 29, 2023, Joseph Walker was arrested and subsequently charged with capital murder in the death of Robert Louis Overton, Jr.
