Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – A second suspect faces multiple felony charges after police connected him to a Jonesboro Christmas Eve shooting that left one person dead.
Circuit Judge Barbara Halsey found probable cause on Jan. 2 to charge 26-year-old Jodarrius Dority with two class Y felonies: First-degree murder (homicide) and aggravated residential burglary. This was after another suspect, 29-year-old Mario Jashon Stafford, appeared in court on Monday, who faces the same charges.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred Dec. 24, 2025, in which Jonesboro police responded to a shooting at a home in the 300 block of State Street. The probable cause affidavit said the victim was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
An investigation into the incident identified Dority as the suspect who entered the home. Police said Dority attempted to follow a resident into the apartment as they went inside. Despite residents trying to push the door closed, Dority was able to force his way in and fired a round, striking the victim.
Witnesses said Dority was at the scene and had confessed to the murder, providing specific details of his actions before and after the incident. Evidence was also gathered through surveillance footage and cellular data from multiple devices, including Dority’s own which was found at the location, pointing to him as the suspect.
Another affidavit stated that footage showed Stafford driving away from the scene shortly after the shooting occurred. Police were able to establish a timeline of the events and Stafford was arrested later in the day.
Both Dority and Stafford are being held in the Craighead County Detention Center, each on a $5 million bond. They are scheduled to be back in court on Feb. 27.
