In the early morning hours in Charles City County, a place that hadn't seen a murder in over ten years, violence shattered the quiet. James Sheldon, a 38-year-old man, was found unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds. The Charles City County Sheriff's Department received a call about shots fired in the 8400 block of Little Elam Road at 2:35 a.m. on a Saturday.
Deputies arrived within five minutes to discover Sheldon's grave condition.
Emergency medical services were on the scene just two minutes after the deputies, but it was too late. James Sheldon was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving a community in shock and a family to grieve. The rarity of such a violent crime in the area prompted a swift and collaborative law enforcement response. The Charles City County Sheriff's Department worked alongside the Virginia State Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Richmond Police to piece together the events of that tragic morning.
Their investigation quickly led them to a suspect. By Saturday evening, authorities had taken 37-year-old Antiwan Jackson into custody. Jackson was subsequently charged with second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted violent felon, and using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
