Jonesboro, Ark. — Nearly nine years after the fatal shooting of Roderic Corbin, his family continues to seek closure as police revisit the unsolved case.

On a November evening in 2017, Jonesboro police responded to a shots-fired call on the 2800 block of Summit Cove. Inside the home, authorities discovered Corbin, 55, dead on the floor, surrounded by what officers described as a large pool of blood. Shell casings in the driveway and an open door pointed to homicide, police said. Yet, despite initial efforts, investigators were unable to solve the case at the time.

Roderic’s brother, Nakia Casey, was working at MidSouth Health System when he got the life-changing call about his sibling. Casey recalled being overwhelmed as he approached the scene and struggled to process the loss.

“He was kind-hearted, peaceful, a lot of times quiet,” Casey shared about his brother. Known for his hospitality, Roderic was admired in his neighborhood for his tradition of cooking and grilling for others. “There are some people who would give you the shirt off their back, and he was literally that type of person.”

The tragedy compounded grief for the family, which has endured multiple losses. In 2011, Casey’s brother Nigel was killed during a robbery attempt. The family’s sister passed away in 2019 after battling cancer. Casey said these compounded tragedies seemed to push their mother, a former social worker who had collaborated with Rev. Jesse Jackson during a coalition movement, into dementia.

While the case remained cold for years, Detective Andy Starnes of the Jonesboro Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division recently reopened the file, describing it as a priority. “It was always a homicide,” Starnes said, citing the unusual nature of the scene. Lack of security cameras and home surveillance systems, less common in households in 2017, hampered the investigation early on.

Starnes said investigators have not identified any personal conflicts that might have made Corbin a target. Robbery remains the only possible motive.

“To this evidence, the only motive I could point to would be robbery,” Starnes explained. He urged community members with any potentially useful information to come forward. “Even a little testimony, a little piece of evidence, could be a big break in a cold case,” he said.

For Casey, closure does not necessarily mean having every detail answered. “I do pray for closure, not necessarily so I can know exactly the name of the person,” he said. “It’s just to have closure in that book.”

In honor of his brother, Casey continues the family’s grilling tradition. “When I turn my grill on and I set my temps and everything, it pops right there on the top: Hot Rod’s Grill,” Casey shared. “It’s the little things like that that always remind me of him.”

Starnes confirmed that detectives will continue pursuing the case. “It’s always there, and it’s going to be investigated until we can come to a solution.”

Individuals with information on this case can submit tips anonymously through Crimestoppers.