Therese Apel

Clarion Ledger

An 85-year-old Jackson man shot in the back of the head while he was doing yard work on Saturday was a Korean War veteran, one of eight children, and a beloved father.

Jackson police said James Harrell Hankins was doing dirt work in his yard on McCluer Road when he was approached by a black male wearing dark-colored clothing. Police said the suspect fired several shots, then fled the scene on foot, headed toward Valley Park Subdivision.

Hankins was found by Tip, his wife of almost 61 years, who heard a pop and thought it might be her crock pot. Friends said she saw him out the window and ran outside.

He was pronounced dead at 8:20 p.m. on Saturday.

"He was honest, hard working, didn’t bother nobody, helped anybody. He was a Christian, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, that summed it up," said his lifelong friend Bobby Arender. "Why would anybody want to shoot a man like him? He was an all-around super guy. There was no reason for someone to come up in his yard and shoot him. "

The two men went to high school together before they went into the service. Arender's family and Hankins' family grew up together. They even lived on adjoining lots for several years.

His friends called him James Harrell. He and Tip were dedicated members of their church, and were the kind of friends who were always there during the hard times. Arender's daughter Sandra Ashley said her father had a heart attack late last year, and the Hankins were there for the duration.

"I live in Virginia, and Mr. Hankins and his wife, the second the news got out that my dad was in the hospital they were there, and they never left our side the whole time," Ashley said.

Hankins was a hard worker. Even at 85, people marveled at how much energy he had, his friends said.

"He went to the doctor Thursday, and the doctor told him you have the body and stamina and everything of a 50-year-old," said Ashley. "That’s because he worked and he stayed busy. He has retired from three or four jobs."

"He was amazing, the things he could do, from building houses to working on cars," his nephew Shane Hankins said. "That’s what really upset me about it. If the person would have just asked for his wallet, he would have given it to him."

James Hankins was the second-oldest of eight children, and kept tabs on the six that remained, said his nephew Shane Hankins.

"He always called them all, every day if he could," Shane Hankins said. "And the only time he got on to his kids or his grandkids was when we climbed trees."

Hankins had a son, Jamie Hankins, and a daughter, Devonda Walley.

"We will miss him and we love him so much," said Hankins' daughter-in-law, Jennifer Hankins, on her Facebook page. "We will see him again one day and until then we will remember him for the wonderful man he was and not for the heinous act that took him from us."

Jennifer Hankins' best friend, Amanda Sijansky, said it was always evident how much James Harrell Hankins loved his family. She said she saw him at his grandchildren's birthday parties every year.

"He attended every single one. He loved his grandkids and kids so much," she said. "From the short time I knew Mr. Hankins, he was a very quiet man, but very nice. Always had a smile on his face."

Hankins was also well-loved by his church family. He was a deacon at Oakview Baptist Church in Terry. Parishioners said he was always the first one through the door when it opened, whether it was Sunday, Wednesday, or a work day.

"Brother James Hankins will be remembered for his strong faith in God, for his strength of character, for his ability to make everyone feel important and special and for the great love he had for his wife, Mrs Tip, and his family," said Linda King, who attended Oakview with the Hankins since 2001. "Brother James had an uncommon generosity and love for others, always looking for a way to be of help. He was a giving person, who would have even helped the one who took his life, had he only asked."

If you know anything about this crime, please contact JPD at 601-960-1234 or Crimestoppers at 601-355-TIPS (8477).