In the early hours of March 10, 2023, the life of 37-year-old Nicholas Childs, a Black / African American male, was tragically cut short in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The incident unfolded just after midnight at a Kum & Go convenience store located at 680 Southwest Drive. Responding to reports of a shooting, Jonesboro Police Department officers arrived at the scene to find Childs lying in the parking lot, having sustained an apparent gunshot wound.
Despite immediate attention, he was pronounced deceased at the scene, prompting a homicide investigation by the department's Criminal Investigation Division.
The investigation into the death of Nicholas Childs moved swiftly. Through their efforts, detectives were able to identify a suspect in the fatal shooting. This led to the arrest of 31-year-old Russell Dewayne Malone on Monday, March 13, 2023. Malone was subsequently charged with first-degree murder for his alleged involvement in the crime that led to Childs' death. Following his arrest, Malone was held at the Craighead County Detention Center on a $3 million bond as the legal process began.
The pursuit of justice for Nicholas Childs culminated in a jury trial for Russell Dewayne Malone. Surveillance footage from the convenience store played a crucial role in the case, capturing the events that led up to the shooting. After hearing the evidence, a Craighead County jury found Malone guilty of second-degree murder. Due to four prior felony convictions, Malone was sentenced as a habitual offender to 50 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
