In the pre-dawn hours of a Saturday in central Arkansas, the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 near Maumelle became the scene of a fatal shooting. On August 21, 2021, 21-year-old Kindylen Roberts of Marion, Arkansas, was a passenger in a vehicle when tragedy struck. Another car pulled alongside, and a passenger within it opened fire, shattering the early morning quiet and forever altering the lives of those involved.
Roberts was struck by the gunfire and rushed to a Little Rock hospital,
but his injuries proved to be fatal. A second person in the vehicle with Roberts was also wounded in the attack but was fortunately treated at the scene and released. The sudden violence on the interstate prompted an immediate investigation by the Arkansas State Police, who quickly began piecing together the events of that tragic morning.
The investigation led to the swift arrest of a suspect later that same day. Justin Cantrell Mays, 24 years old at the time, was taken into custody and faced charges of capital murder and battery. Following a thorough investigation and legal proceedings, Mays was found guilty of the murder of Kindylen Roberts. In July 2023, he was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 10 years, bringing a measure of closure to a case that began with a senseless act of violence on a dark stretch of highway.
