Clemency denied for man convicted of murder of Sheridan woman

By Millie McClain

A Pine Bluff man convicted and serving a life without parole sentence for the murder of a Sheridan resident 16 years ago was denied executive clemency after being granted a clemency hearing.

The ruling on the executive clemency request of Sherman D. Noble/Jihad was released this week stating denial without merit. Noble/Jihad had requested the executive clemency hearing, which was held May 28 after serving approximately 16 years of his sentence. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole after accepting a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to capital murder.

On March 21, 1992, 42-year-old Tresia Jester of Sheridan was shot to death in her vehicle on a gas station parking lot at the corner of Barraque and Walnut streets in Pine Bluff where she had stopped to use a pay phone.

She was the owner of a men's clothing and family shoe store, "Kelley's," which was located on the courthouse square in Sheridan until 1989. Jester was a member of Immanuel Missionary Baptist Church in Sheridan and the church's Women's Auxiliary as well as the Sheridan Booster and Band Club. Her children attended Sheridan Schools with her youngest being a senior at Sheridan High School the year she was killed.

Three suspects were arrested in mid April of 1992 in connection with the murder. NobleJihad, 21 at the time of his arrest, was found to be the shooter.

Two accomplices, Vernon Charles Dedmon, 19 at the time, of Little Rock and Timmy Lynn Hansberry, 25 at the time, of Wrightsville entered into plea agreements pleading guilty to first-degree murder and receiving sentences of 40 years in prison each.

Hansberry only served about 14 years of his sentence before being paroled. Dedmon served about 12 years of his 40-year sentence. One condition of their paroles was to move out of the state of Arkansas.