June 5, 2024
Cardwell CONVICTED for 2021 Murder of Rainsville Man
District Attorney Summer Summerford announced today that Jason Cardwell, age 46 of Rainsville, was convicted for the 2021 MURDER of Ricky Wilks. Cardwell entered a GUILTY plea in the courtroom of Circuit Judge Shaunathan Bell on Monday, June 4, 2024.
Cardwell and Wilks previously worked together and continued a friendship even after their employment ended. Wilks would routinely pick up Cardwell to take him places as Cardwell did not have a driver’s license. On August 6, 2021, Wilks left his home to pick up Cardwell to take him to the store; however, Wilks never returned home. The family alerted law enforcement that Wilks had not returned home as expected. Hours later, Wilks’s body was recovered near a local carwash. The investigation showed that Cardwell stabbed the victim and dragged him out of the car and into the weeds at the carwash close to Cardwell’s home.
“The hard work and dedication of law enforcement made this case possible. Law enforcement did a great job in collecting witness statements and exploring every avenue for usable evidence. They did, however, face some obstacles. While the Defendant was covered in blood when he returned home, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences (ADFS) was unable to pull any usable DNA from the blood on the Defendant’s clothes to match it to the victim, or anyone else. Additionally, cell phone data did not provide any usable information in this case. This case is a good example of how real-world investigations and prosecutions are not like those you see on television. Real-world factors, like rain, sweat, and time, are always at play,” stated Summerford.
“The victim’s family has been a tremendous help to the investigation and prosecution of this case. I appreciate their participation and constant communication,” continued Summerford. “Please continue to keep the victim’s family in your prayers. They lost a husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend,” added Summerford. With the agreement of the family of the victim, Cardwell was sentenced to 35 years in Alabama’s prison system.
This case was investigated by the Rainsville Police Department with assistance from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Payne Police Department, Jacksonville State University’s Center for Applied Forensics, and the Ninth Circuit District Attorney’s Office.
