On March 25, 2013, 88-year-old Lindsey Stikeleather went missing.

Residents and law enforcement searched everywhere: old barns, wooded areas, abandoned homes. At first, they held out hope that they would find the missing man alive.

As the hours ticked by, tips came in. None panned out.

Deputies believed they knew who caused Stikeleather’s disappearance. Bobby Joe Jackson, a Statesville man with a lengthy criminal history, was the last person to see Stikeleather alive.

On March 27, detectives picked up Jackson. He led them to a bridge over Buffalo Shoals Creek on Eufola Road.

Under the midnight moon, investigators descended a hill toward the creek.

There the search ended with a gruesome discovery.

Jackson was charged with Stikeleather’s murder later that day.

More than three years later, Jackson pleaded guilty in Iredell County Superior Court. He will now spend the rest of his life in prison.

The crimes against Lindsey Stikeleather devastated the community. How could such a generous, kind man die in such a brutal way?

As Stikeleather’s granddaughter, Susan Rohrbacher, told the court during Wednesday’s plea hearing: “… his last act on Earth was helping the very person that took his life.”

THE VICTIM

Stikeleather spent his whole life in Statesville and built a reputation for respect and kindness, said Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell, who was a major with the sheriff’s office at the time and heavily involved in the investigation.

Stikeleather served in the Navy during World War II, and attended Concord Presbyterian Church, where he was an elder and deacon.

Kyle Goodman, a pastor at the church, said a grocery store in Statesville helped build his reputation. Stikeleather helped run the business -- Stikeleather Grocery -- with his brothers Grier and William Mack.

Stikeleather also kept to a strict schedule, Goodman said. The pastor recalled Stikeleather attending Sunday school one snowy Sunday morning despite church being closed for the day.

“He had a perfect Sunday school attendance and the snow wasn’t going to stop him from going,” Goodman said with a laugh.

He remembered Stikeleather as a quiet man who didn’t say much in a group.

“But when he spoke, everyone listened,” Goodman said. “Everyone respected him and his faithful dedication.”

Stikeleather was generous man and thought nothing of lending a hand whenever he could. He would mow other yards in his neighborhood “just to be kind,” according to Rohrbacher.

“If someone needed something, he would help,” Goodman said. “That was the kind of person he was.”

The way he lived his life wasn’t lost on his children and grandchildren.

“He taught each of us to be this kind of person … by his actions and the way he led his life,” Rohrbacher said in Jackson’s plea hearing.

In the years leading up to his death, Stikeleather owned rental properties.

At one point, Bobby Joe Jackson was a tenant in Stikeleather’s rental property on Deer Creek Trail.

Stikeleather invited Jackson to his home for dinner on several occasions, and loaned him money.

He even allowed Jackson to stay on the property when he couldn’t pay rent.

THE SUSPECT

Jackson was considered a hard-worker and exceptional mechanic, said Harley Pool, a former acquaintance.

Jackson’s hands were his greatest asset.

“He could fix anything – that’s how good he was,” Pool said. “He could look at something that’s broken and instantly know how to fix it.

“He was nice when I knew him; he didn’t seem like the person he turned out to be.”

According to a court document, Jackson couldn’t read or write and the highest level of education he completed was the sixth grade.

Jackson was first convicted in 1997 of misdemeanor breaking and entering and larceny, according to the North Carolina Department of Corrections. Other convictions through the years included an assault on a female, possession of stolen goods and motor vehicle thefts.

Former neighbor Linwood Small said he met Jackson in 2011. But Small kept his distance because Jackson seemed to act “crazy,” he said.

Pool said something changed in Jackson after the death of a man named Billy who lived with Jackson in Stikeleather’s Deer Creek Trail rental property.

On March 18, 2013, Jackson was evicted from a rental home at 241 Mocksmill Road. He then moved into room 111 at the Economy Inn on Taylorsville Highway.

MARCH 25, 2013

Jackson called Stikeleather at 12:45 p.m. and asked for help repairing a broken-down scooter. The scooter was in the parking lot of JR Factory Outlet in Newtowne Plaza on East Broad Street, Jackson told him.

At some point in the hours after the call, Jackson told Stikeleather that an accomplice had his wife, Ruth, captive. It wasn’t true, but Stikeleather didn’t know that.

“Times are hard; you have money and I need it,” Jackson told Stikeleather, according to Assistant District Attorney Mikko Red Arrow.

Jackson demanded Stikeleather take out less than $10,000 from the bank so it wouldn’t draw attention.

During the robbery, Jackson kept a black and chrome BB pistol on his lap. Stikeleather believed it was a real gun.

The two men drove off in Stikeleather’s Jeep Comanche, and at 3:45 p.m., Stikeleather walked alone through the doors at the BB&T Bank on West Front Street. He approached the teller and withdrew $9,000.

It was the last time he was seen alive.

Stikeleather didn’t immediately turn over the cash. He demanded to know that Ruth was OK.

That defiance angered Jackson.

Investigators believe that at some point that evening, the Jeep ended up at the Eufola Road bridge. The vehicle was then dumped about a mile-and-a-half away at the intersection of Lamb and Lewis Ferry roads.

Later that evening, Jackson visited a man named Richard Beasley who lives on Lamb Road. While the men were together, Beasley noticed Jackson had a white envelope stuffed with cash, some of which was wrapped in bands marked with $1,000.

Beasley asked about the money, and Jackson mentioned “a deal gone bad.”

At some point during the visit, Jackson stashed his BB gun under Beasley’s couch. He also buried a portion of the money on the property.

Jackson then gave Beasley $40 for a ride to an unknown destination.

Later that night Jackson gave a portion of the money to a man named Preston Kirk Long, who hid it somewhere along Airport Road.

At 9:37 p.m., Stikeleather’s daughter, Pam Marlowe, reported her father missing. The family last saw him about 1 p.m., she told authorities. It was unusual for him to be gone that long.

Soon deputies released the description of Stikeleather’s Jeep over a 50-mile radius of Statesville.

Numerous agencies joined in the search. Sheriff’s office K9 units, the Iredell Search and Rescue Team, the N.C. Highway Patrol helicopter and community residents helped.

“Our goal was to find him alive – we were in life-saving mode,” said Iredell Sheriff’s Maj. Andy Poteat. The search went on around the clock, and “we wouldn’t even change our clothes,” he said.

Deputies’ main concern: Jackson was the last person who had contact with Stikeleather.

MARCH 26, 2013

That night, deputies found Jackson at a convenience store on Newton Drive. When questioned, Jackson told the deputies he contacted Stikeleather earlier in the day looking to buy land on Windforest Drive.

Jackson also told deputies that he asked Stikeleather for a ride to the Yamaha shop on West Front Street to buy a part to fix his scooter. Stikeleather dropped him off at the shop, then left to go back home, Jackson told them.

After the interrogation, deputies released Jackson, but made plans to keep up with him.

“We were keeping close tabs on him,” Campbell said. “He knew he was a person of interest and we kept applying pressure.”

Around noon on March 26, Stikeleather’s abandoned Jeep was found. Detectives noted a strong odor of kerosene inside the vehicle.

Later that day, they searched the Jeep and recovered items such as two empty BB&T bank envelopes, various tools, a kerosene-filled water bottle and a shovel.

Investigators knew there was no reason for Stikeleather to be traveling in the area where the Jeep was abandoned.

About 3:30 p.m., detectives found Jackson again, and he agreed to come to the sheriff’s office for another interview. When pressed, Jackson admitted he didn’t tell the truth in the interview the night before.

Jackson told investigators that he knew it looked bad that he was the last person to see Stikeleather, and that he was trying to distance himself from the situation.

He also told them that he had received a ride the day before from a man named Chris, who deputies later learned was really Richard Beasley.

At 7:38 p.m., detectives obtained a search warrant for Jackson’s hotel room. Inside they found several pairs of gloves, Harley-Davidson apparel and items for an infant, including diapers, a diaper bag and a baby wipes container.

MARCH 27, 2013

Deputies placed a GPS tracking device on Jackson’s scooter. The monitoring revealed that Jackson traveled to Airport Road around 6 p.m. before heading to Davidson Mini Storage Warehouse on Buffalo Shoals Road.

That night, Jackson met with detectives again and during questioning in the cruiser, he admitted to stealing the money.

He also led them to the body.

Under the bridge on Eufola Road, detectives were met with the worst possible outcome to the case.

It was a lifeless Stikeleather, covered in blood. Detectives later learned that after Jackson struck Stikeleather in the head with a large rock, he left the scene. But he returned with a box cutter and sliced Stikeleather’s throat.

Jackson was charged with murder, robbery, kidnapping and extortion.

Preston Long was charged with accessory after the fact to first degree murder and common law obstruction of justice. His charges are still pending.

If convicted, he would face the death penalty.

GUILTY PLEA CLOSES CASE

After years of legal moves that saw appointed defense attorneys come and go, everything was set for the capital murder trial to begin Monday.

But in a move that surprised even Superior Court Judge Joe Crosswhite, Jackson entered a guilty plea on July 20 to all charges. He was sentenced to life in prison for the murder, 231 months for kidnapping, 204 months for robbery and 59 months for extortion. He has 14 days from the time of the conviction to file an appeal.

The move came after attorneys received inconclusive mental evaluations of Jackson.

During the plea hearing, Stikeleather’s family members had the opportunity to address the court.

Daughter Lisa Eidson stared down her father’s killer during her statement.

“I keep hearing what a terrible life you have had … Not one thing you have been through in your 48 years of life can ever justify what (you) did to my father.

“… The life you took from this world had so much more value than many will ever know.”

TIMELINE

Unless otherwise noted, all dates are from 2013.

MARCH 18

» Jackson is evicted from his home at 241 Mocksmill Road. He soon moves into room 111 at the Economy Inn on Taylorsville Highway.

MARCH 25

» 12:45 p.m.: Jackson calls Stikeleather asking for help with a broken down scooter.

» 3:45 p.m.: Jackson threatens Stikeleather, demanding money and saying an accomplice has his wife held captive. Stikeleather withdraws $9,000 from the BB&T on West Front Street.

» 9:37 p.m.: Stikeleather’s daughter, Pam Marlowe, reports her father missing to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office. She tells authorities she hasn’t spoken to him since about 1 p.m. that day.

Also on this day:

» Jackson and Stikeleather go to a bridge on Eufola Road, and Jackson hits Stikeleather in the head with a large rock. Jackson leaves the scene and returns a short time later to cut Stikeleather’s throat.

» Deputies find Jackson at a convenience store on Newton Drive and question him. He is later released.

» Authorities release information to surrounding counties to be on the lookout for Stikeleather’s 1990 Jeep Comanche, while community members join in the search for the missing man.

» Richard Beasley gives Jackson a ride for $40, and later reports seeing Jackson with a large sum of money.

» Jackson gives friend Preston Kirk Long the money to hold. Portions of the money are later found along Airport Road.

MARCH 26

» 5 a.m.: Jackson washes his clothes in a Statesville laundromat, discarding some items in the process.

» 12:15 p.m.: Stikeleather’s Jeep is found abandoned at the intersection of Lamb and Lewis Ferry roads.

» 3:30 p.m.: Detectives locate Jackson again and he agrees to come to the sheriff’s office for another interview. He admits to not telling the truth about where he was the day before. He is released.

» 6:07 p.m.: Detectives obtain a search warrant for Stikeleather’s Jeep.

» 7:38 p.m.: A search warrant is issued for Jackson’s hotel room.

MARCH 27

» A GPS is placed on Jackson’s scooter, which later reveals that he travels to Airport Road and Davidson Mini Storage Warehouse on Buffalo Shoals Road.

» After his sister insists he turn himself in, Jackson is taken into custody.

MARCH 28

» 12 a.m.: Jackson accompanies deputies to Eufola Road, where Stikeleather’s body is found under the bridge. Soon after, Jackson confesses to the killing.

» 5 p.m.: Detectives obtain a search warrant for Jackson’s storage unit.

Also on this day:

» Jackson is officially charged with the kidnapping, robbery and murder of Stikeleather.

» A medical examiner performs an autopsy on Stikeleather and finds the cause of death to be blunt trauma to the head, while noting a gaping incised wound to the neck.

APRIL 4

» 9 a.m.: Detectives obtain a search warrant to get a mouth swab from Jackson for DNA purposes.

JULY 20, 2016

» With less than a week to go until jury selection begins in his capital murder trial, Jackson pleads guilty to kidnapping, robbery, extortion and murder. He is sentenced to life in prison.

Editor’s note: The information in this account was taken from interviews, court records, Bobby Joe Jackson’s plea hearing and past media accounts.