In the late spring of 1996, a violent crime spree began in Tucson, Arizona, that would ultimately claim the life of Thomas Hardman. On the evening of May 30th, two armed men, later identified as Scott Douglas Nordstrom and Robert Glen Jones Jr., entered a local smoke shop with the intent to rob it. Inside, they encountered several employees and a customer.
The situation quickly escalated as Jones fatally shot a customer, Clarence Odell III, in the back of the head.
As the robbery continued, Hardman, who had taken refuge in a bathroom, emerged and was shot in the head by Nordstrom. He died at the scene. Another employee was also shot but survived his injuries. The brazen and brutal nature of the crime sent a shockwave through the Tucson community, leaving investigators with a complex and urgent case to solve.
The perpetrators, Nordstrom and Jones, continued their violent spree, committing another robbery and multiple murders just two weeks later at a firefighters' union hall. The subsequent investigation into this string of heinous crimes was extensive. A crucial breakthrough came when Scott Nordstrom's brother, David, came forward and confessed to his role as the getaway driver in the smoke shop robbery. His testimony was instrumental in identifying Scott Nordstrom and Robert Jones Jr. as the men responsible for the murders.
In January 1997, the Nordstrom brothers were arrested. Scott Nordstrom was charged with six counts of first-degree murder for his role in both the smoke shop and union hall killings. Robert Jones Jr., who was already in custody for a separate murder, was also charged with the six Tucson murders. Both men were ultimately convicted. Jones was sentenced to death and was executed by lethal injection on October 23, 2013. Scott Nordstrom was also sentenced to death for the murders of Thomas Hardman and another victim and remains on death row.
