Detectives searching for tips in cold case stabbing death of JU football star | UNSOLVED
Share this @internewscast.com

Ricardo Tilman Jr. was fatally stabbed while attempting to defend his teammates. Even after 25 years, his family and investigators are tirelessly searching for the truth.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Back in 1998, Ricardo Tilman Jr. was a prominent figure at Jacksonville University. He was a key player on the university’s first-ever football team and was dearly admired by his peers and teammates.

Tilman ran in the first touchdown in the school’s history, a perfect spiral from quarterback Gary Cooper, right into his hands.

“I see him running down the field and threw it up for him and he caught it and ran it in for the touchdown,” said Cooper. “It was something special.”

The team was tight-knit and Cooper said Tilman, or “Rico” as they called him, was the heart of it.

“He was one of the funniest people I knew,” said Cooper. “You know there was never one person on my team I heard say something negative about him.”

Which is why what happened two years later was such a shock.

It was March 19, 2000. Tilman, Cooper and some of their teammates went to Jazzco, a club they frequented in Arlington.

Among his acquaintances was Talmadge Ford Jr., who is now an officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. In 2000, he not only played for the JU football team but also worked as a security guard at Jazzco on the night of the incident, witnessing the arrival of his teammates.

“I was like, ‘Hey, you all good, get in and have a good time,'” Junior said.

Cooper said he remembers some of the team getting into an argument with another group of men there, but it was resolved.

“It led to nothing, actually it led to shaking hands, nothing big,” he said.

As Jazzco was closing, Cooper said he left in another car and Junior was in another section of the club clearing people out when he heard a fight had broken out in the parking lot amongst a group of people and Tilman had been hurt.

“Everybody was trying to figure out what was going on with Rico,” said Junior.

He says the scene was chaotic.

“We didn’t really know who was involved because there were so many people coming out and dispersing and going different directions,” Junior said.

Investigators say it appears Tilman was trying to protect his teammates and their girlfriends when he was stabbed in the back. Though the injury was serious, he was still alive and transported to the hospital.

After a surgery and a few days in recovery, he was released from what was then Shands Hospital in Jacksonville. His parents and four sisters were optimistic about his recovery.

“He was struggling to walk, but he was still joking and laughing, and all the providers said he was going to be find, so there was really not a lot to worry about at that time,” said Tilman’s sister, Monique Dillard.

Then, he began to run a fever and became very ill.

“So, I took him back to the doctor and they put him back in the hospital,” said Tilman’s mother, Dorothy Tilman.

“All of a sudden, it just went bad,” said Ricardo Tilman, his father.

A staph infection had taken hold of Rico’s wound, and on April 10, 2000, it claimed his life.

“So, we had no idea, we didn’t expect it at all, it hit us like a train,” said Tilman’s sister, Richarnda Barrett. “We didn’t expect him to pass away.”

Since the infection was a result of the initial stabbing, Tilman’s death was classified as a homicide. But, the homicide detectives picking up the case were at a major disadvantage.

“Detectives have to now go back and try to piece together something that has happened two weeks prior,” said Detective Travis Oliver with the Cold Case Unit at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Oliver says it appears there was a miscommunication at the scene at Jazzco and responding officers were told Tilman’s injuries were not life-threatening.

“Based on that miscommunication, the police didn’t do what would normally be done at a scene where it was [a] life-threatening injury,” Oliver said.

The scene wasn’t preserved and witnesses were not detained or interviewed that night. So, the names of the other men involved in the fight remain a mystery.

“That’s the information we need: who were the guys fighting,” Oliver said.

A sketch was made of the man who possibly stabbed Tilman, but his identity is still unknown. The wait for answers has been painful for the Tilman family.

“It is an ache that could never be replaced,” said Dillard. “It changed the way we viewed the world.”

But, Tilman’s family still prays every day for answers.

“If anybody hears me please, somebody say something,” said Tilman’s father. “It has been 25 years our family has been going through this.”

Oliver hopes those in the community that were at Jazzco that night or know something will come forward.

“You rely on each other to protect each other,” said Tilman’s father. “It is a fight that went south, extremely south, and we just need those people to come forward and let the facts come out and we deal with those facts.”

If you know anything about the fight at Jazzco in March 2000 that led to the death of Ricardo Tilman Junior, contact the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office at 904-630-0500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS (8477).

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
FBI investigates hunting stand with sight line to Trump's Air Force One exit area at Palm Beach airport

FBI Probes Suspicious Hunting Stand Overlooking Trump’s Air Force One Path at Palm Beach Airport

EXCLUSIVE: In a recent security sweep, the U.S. Secret Service identified a…
Ashton Kutcher says his looks hurt his acting career

Ashton Kutcher Reveals How His Appearance Impacted His Acting Journey

Ashton Kutcher has confessed that his striking appearance may have sometimes been…
'No Kings' protest in St. Augustine

St. Augustine’s ‘No Kings’ Protest Draws Attention: Citizens Rally for Equality and Justice

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Protesters gathered in St. Augustine on Saturday as…
'No Kings' protests take place in Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville Protests Ignite: ‘No Kings’ Movement Challenges Authority

Protesters took to the streets in Jacksonville on Saturday, showcasing an array…
NTSB shares early findings in crash that killed country songwriter Brett James

Breaking: NTSB Releases Preliminary Report on Fatal Crash Involving Renowned Country Songwriter Brett James

A preliminary report has surfaced, shedding light on the tragic accident that…
Orionid Meteor Shower returns | What to know

Spectacular Orionid Meteor Shower 2023: Essential Viewing Tips and Peak Dates Revealed

Prepare to witness nature’s celestial display as the Orionid meteor shower returns…
South African rowers of color become first to compete at Charles, part of larger trend toward access

Historic Breakthrough: South African Rowers of Color Make Waves at the Prestigious Charles Regatta

BOSTON (AP) — In a groundbreaking moment, a group of four rowers…
'Dr. Antifa' fled US after doxxing, but infamous handbook promotes tactic and violence against 'Far Right'

Controversial ‘Dr. Antifa’ Escapes USA Amid Backlash Over Handbook Encouraging Tactics Against Far-Right

Dr. Mark Bray, a Rutgers University professor colloquially known as “Dr. Antifa,”…
McDonald's worker shoots customer in neck during 'McMess' altercation, Florida sheriff says

Florida McDonald’s Incident: Employee Allegedly Shoots Customer Amid Dispute, Reports Sheriff

A recent incident at a McDonald’s in Polk County, Florida, took a…
Israel says Hamas violated ceasefire with 'multiple attacks' leading to IDF response

Israel Accuses Hamas of Breaching Ceasefire with ‘Multiple Attacks,’ Prompting IDF Retaliation

The Israeli military launched airstrikes against Hamas in Gaza, alleging that the…
State Department warns Hamas may violate ceasefire with attack on Palestinian civilians

State Department Alerts: Potential Ceasefire Breach by Hamas Threatens Palestinian Civilians

On Saturday, the U.S. Department of State issued a warning about “credible…
JD Vance Challenges Dems to Denounce Mamdani Appearing With 1993 WTC Bombing 'Unindicted Co-Conspirator'

JD Vance Urges Democrats to Condemn Mamdani for Association with Controversial 1993 WTC Bombing Figure

As previously noted, Vice President JD Vance took the stage at Camp…