A cold case that sat unsolved in Norcross for six years has a suspect: the Georgia Bureau of Investigation says 27-year-old Rashad Jackson has been arrested and charged in the August 2020 murder of 21-year-old Tyler Hall, whose body was found inside his own home riddled with gunshot wounds. Jackson was already behind bars on unrelated charges when the new charges came down.
Hall was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds inside his Norcross home on August 30, 2020, according to fox5atlanta.com. He was just 21 years old. The case went cold for years, with no public breakthroughs, until investigators turned to a private forensic laboratory to try to crack it.
Per Atlanta News First, the GBI said new DNA evidence led directly to the arrest in the fatal shooting. Evidence from the scene was sent to a DNA lab for testing in 2024, and that testing identified Jackson as a suspect.
Genetic Genealogy Cracks the Case
The GBI Cold Case Unit partnered with forensic laboratory Othram, Inc. in February 2024, fox5atlanta.com reports. Using modern forensic-grade genome sequencing and genealogical profiling, state agents identified Jackson as the suspect in Hall's death, according to the same outlet's reporting.
The technique reflects a broader shift in how cold cases are being solved nationwide, as investigators increasingly turn to genetic genealogy labs to crack cases that traditional forensics could not. Over the past six years, the GBI's Atlanta Regional Investigative Office, the GBI Cold Case Unit and the Norcross Police Department had remained committed to seeking answers in Hall's death, per hazlehurstnow.com.
Charges Filed, Suspect Already Incarcerated
The GBI charged Jackson, of DeKalb County, with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, fox5atlanta.com reports. Jackson was already serving time in the Georgia Department of Corrections on unrelated charges when the new charges were handed down, the outlet notes.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the armed robbery and shooting, and the investigation remains active, according to the same fox5atlanta.com report. The GBI's announcement, made this week, closes out years of uncertainty for investigators who had kept the case open even as leads dried up.
No additional details about how Jackson allegedly carried out the crime, whether he knew Hall, or any court proceedings following the arrest have been made public at this time.
