A $5,000 reward is being offered for information about the murder of a 21-year-old Alabama man whose vehicle was found riddled with bullet holes, AL.com reports.
Around 9:30 p.m. on November 6, 2022, Kendall Jarrod Thornton Jr. was driving near the intersection of Highway 79 and Cleage Drive near Birmingham when shots were fired at his vehicle, according to WVTM-TV.
Thornton crashed into a tree and the vehicle overturned, pinning the 21-year-old inside. He was declared dead at the scene, according to ABC 33/40.
Nearly four months since the murder, authorities have yet to make any arrests and have not said whether they have identified any suspects. The most specific lead released publicly is that a truck driver told investigators he saw two vehicles near Thornton’s blue Kia Forte just before it crashed, according to Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama.
Thornton’s mother, Angel Miranda, said she wants those responsible to know the consequences of their actions.
“When they murdered him, they murdered our whole family,” Miranda told AL.com. “We got the life sentence, and it’s not fair.”
Miranda and Thornton’s father, Kendall Thornton Sr., say their son was a good kid and they were not aware of any enemies he may have had. In high school, Thornton played football and helped his team win state championships in two consecutive years. He also ran track and played basketball.
“Anything he did, he excelled,’’ Miranda told AL.com. “He was like the full package.”
Thornton had been working at FedEx and was interested in flipping houses as a business – something he could do with his dad, an electrician.
The grieving parents have tried to think of potential motives, one possibly jealousy.
“He was a good kid, so we took good care of him and I’m sure people were envious of that,’’ Miranda told AL.com. “Because he was a good kid, I had no problem giving him what he needed or wanted.”
Since Thornton’s murder, the family has been turned upside down. They did not celebrate the holidays, and birthdays are no longer joyous. Kendall’s younger brother, just one year below him, has been particularly traumatized.
“They were like twins,’’ Thornton Sr. told AL.com of the two boys.
The family is pleading for anyone with information to come forward.
“Every day someone is getting murdered, and you would want someone to help you get justice for your loved one,’’ Miranda told AL.com. “It doesn’t cost you anything to do the right thing. My son deserves that much.”
To report information about the case, call the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office at 205-325-1450 and select option 2. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
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[Featured image: Kendall Jarrod Thornton Jr./Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama]
