In the spring of 2014, the life of 19-year-old Kegan Bernard Hilliard was tragically cut short. A resident of Maumelle, Arkansas, Kegan was a young man with a bright future. He had graduated from Parkview High School in 2012 and was working as a nursing assistant with ambitions of attending nursing school in the fall. Those who knew him described him as having a magnetic personality, a young man who easily made friends.
He was the beloved son of Joseph and Kim Hilliard and a brother to two siblings.
On the evening of Saturday, April 26, 2014, Kegan was in Little Rock when he became the victim of a fatal shooting. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot of a local Kroger. An altercation between Kegan and another young man escalated to the point of gunfire. Kegan sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was rushed to a nearby hospital. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, he succumbed to his injuries later that evening.
The investigation into Kegan's death quickly led police to a suspect, 19-year-old Keirenses D. Stigger. Witnesses at the scene were able to provide a description of the shooter, and Stigger was taken into custody shortly after the incident. He was subsequently charged with capital murder in connection with Kegan Hilliard's death.
Following his arrest, Keirenses D. Stigger faced the judicial process. In a trial that took place in Pulaski County, a jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of first-degree murder. For his role in the death of Kegan Hilliard, Stigger was sentenced to 30 years in prison. This concluded the legal proceedings, bringing a measure of closure to a case that had tragically ended a promising young life.
