April 29, 2024 | By: Angelica Santini

This story is part of a collaborative project between Project: Cold Case and the University of North Florida’s Applied Journalism class.

Timothy Thomas, Jr. was an outgoing person, and he was often described as the life of the party. “Timmy was my oldest son, the light of my eyes as soon as he was born,” said his mother, Robin Clemons. “Oh Lord, that was my pride and joy when he was born. When I laid my eyes on my son, it just did something to me. My son was just so special to me,” said Clemons.

“That light would be put out too soon and unexpectedly,” said Clemons. Timothy Thomas, Jr. was shot to death at the corner of Pullman Avenue and West 9th street in Jacksonville, Florida, early in the morning of September 29, 2021. He was 31 years old. His murder has not been solved.

“He was staying the night at his grandmother’s house. He just went out quickly but never returned home,” said Clemons. She said she received a call from his grandmother at 6 a.m. asking where Timothy was. She turned on the news and saw a story about a murder involving a man in his late 20s or early 30s. “All I thought was, oh, I know that is not my child,” Clemons said. But she soon learned from the police that it was.

His body had been found at the intersection of Pullman Avenue and West 9th Street in Jacksonville’s historic Durkeeville neighborhood – an area valued for its historical sites and deep ties to African American heritage. That night, though, Clemons only knew it as her son’s final resting place.

Timothy was born on October 21, 1989. He was an A/ B honor roll student growing up; he loved playing basketball and football. He was known for hugging everybody he knew as soon as he saw them. At the time of his death, he was a father of four – three daughters and one son. “All his kids have been affected deeply by his passing, but his son is the one that has been the most affected,” said Clemons. “He lost that connection to his father at such a young age. He still asks questions why this happened. Every day he is reminded of his father.”

Clemons said many loved ones remember him as “the hype man” of the family. She called him the missing piece from her family. “It crushes me that I can’t hear my son’s voice anymore or get a hug and a ‘I love you’ from him,” said Clemons.

Timothy faced numerous challenges growing up, particularly after the deaths of his father, Timothy Thomas Sr., and stepfather, Jerry Clemons. His father’s imprisonment at the age of 10 deeply affected him too, and shortly after his father was imprisoned, he was killed. Losing his stepfather in a similar manner nearly triggered a breakdown. The consecutive losses took a toll on him.

Clemons maintains a memorial of his pictures on the walls of her staircase, finding solace in the memories. She holds onto the Facebook post written by Timothy four years before his death. “Going up my stairs, there’s nothing but my son’s pictures because that’s my child,” said Clemons. This brings her and her family peace and hope that one day her son’s murder will be solved. Four years before he died, Timmy, as his mother called him, wrote a Facebook post about his mother, verbalizing for her their strong bond. It reads: “Through all ups and downs, my momma stayed solid, something a lot of people can’t be in this world.” She has the words framed and hanging on her wall. She reads it every day.

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Anyone with information regarding the murder of Timothy Thomas Jr. is asked to call the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at (904) 630-0500. To remain anonymous and possibly be eligible for a reward, call First Coast Crime Stoppers at 866-845-TIPS (8477) or dial **TIPS from your mobile device.

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