Former Co-Worker Sentenced: Jason Cardwell Gets 35 Years for Stabbing Friend Ricky Wilks
Grim Discovery: Ricky Wilks’ Body Found Near Car Wash After Cardwell’s Fatal Attack
According to True Crime News in Rainsville, Alabama, Jason Cardwell aged 46 has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for the heinous murder of Ricky Wilks his former co-worker and friend. The crime occurred on August 6, 2021, when Wilks who often helped Cardwell with transportation due to Cardwell not having a driver’s license picked him up to go to a store. Wilks never returned home after that day which alarmed his family and led them to contact law enforcement. The authorities immediately began searching for Wilks fearing the worst given the sudden and unusual nature of his disappearance.
Hours later investigators made a grim discovery near a car wash close to Cardwell’s residence the remains of Ricky Wilks. Evidence revealed that Cardwell had fatally stabbed Wilks and then attempted to conceal the crime by dragging his body from the vehicle into nearby weeds. Despite Cardwell returning home covered in blood investigators initially struggled to gather usable DNA evidence from his clothing. However, the combination of circumstantial evidence and other investigatory findings led to Cardwell’s arrest. Faced with the mounting evidence against him Cardwell eventually pled guilty to the murder acknowledging his role in the brutal killing of his friend.
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46-Year-Old Jason Cardwell Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Murdering Co-Worker and Friend Ricky Wilks, 42, in a Brutal Stabbing-Friendship Turned Fatal! (PHOTO: True Crime News)
Community Mourns Betrayal: DA Urges Support for Family After Friend’s Murder
District Attorney Summer Summerford addressed the community asking them to support Wilks’ grieving family in their time of profound loss. Ricky Wilks was fondly remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend whose life was cut short in a senseless act of violence by someone he had trusted. The sentencing of Jason Cardwell brings a measure of justice but also highlights the deep betrayal and devastating impact of his actions. This tragic event underscores the fragility of trust and the catastrophic consequences when it is betrayed. The community is left mourning a man who played many cherished roles in the lives of those who knew him now gone too soon.
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