Bonus Minisode #11: Jordan Roberts

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Suffer the Little Children

Bonus Minisode #11: Jordan Roberts

Host: Lane
Date: October 23, 2025 (Originally released March 2, 2022)
Theme: Shining a spotlight on the tragic murder of 11-year-old Jordan Roberts, honoring his memory, and exploring the impact on his family, community, and the complexities surrounding the perpetrator.

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Episode Overview

This bonus minisode of Suffer the Little Children recounts the brief, heartbreaking life and untimely death of Jordan Roberts. Host Lane thoughtfully details the events surrounding Jordan’s murder at the hands of his mother’s fiancé, Brent Martin, in their Little Rock, Arkansas home. The episode offers firsthand accounts from law enforcement, neighbors, family members, and friends, examining both the crime and the broader impact on the community. Lane also reflects on the legacy left behind by Jordan and the continuing pain experienced by those who loved him.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Tragic Events (01:31 – 03:58)

• Incident Timeline: On May 1, 2020, Miranda Alford (Jordan’s mother) reported her son being held hostage by fiancé Brent Martin.
• Police Response: Police and a SWAT team responded immediately. Upon arrival, they heard gunfire, entered the home, and fatally shot Brent Martin after an exchange.
• Jordan’s Injury & Death: Jordan was found with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite emergency responders’ efforts, he died at the hospital just short of his 12th birthday.

2. Law Enforcement & Community Reaction (02:58 – 05:28)

• Police Statement:
  • Little Rock Police Chief Keith Humphrey explained that "the officers were attempting to gain communication and wait on our SWAT team. Gunshots were heard... those shots were being fired by the suspect." He emphasized the traumatic nature for officers involved:
    • "Their main focus was to save the life of this child... They never thought about their safety." (03:31)
  • Both officers involved were placed on administrative leave as per protocol.
• Community Mourning: Neighbors left flowers and toys at a memorial outside the home.
  • “It happened so fast and it was so close.” – Neighbor Brianna Allen (04:18)
  • Another neighbor, Tianka Sherd, shared her family's distress at overhearing the shootings:
    • "My anxiety was just above the roof... let him be able to save him." (04:29)
    • Her son Cartier mourned, “I feel bad and sad because he was my friend and now I don’t have a friend to play basketball with.” (04:49)
• Community Impact: The loss hit especially hard for those with children Jordan’s age.
  • “He’s actually a little younger than my son, so it really kind of hit home. I cried.” – Jessica Smith (05:23)

3. Background on Brent Martin and Family Circumstances (05:28 – 08:17)

• Brent Martin’s History:
  • Former barber known as NBA the Barber, previously guilty of domestic abuse and drug charges.
  • Friends recalled his struggles with alcohol:
    • “He was a real sweet, caring, gentle and loving funny thug… he had a few demons, which we all do.” (06:17)
• Reflections from Friends:
  • Many acknowledged Brent's hardships and complicated feelings towards the crime:
    • “Jordan didn’t deserve it but I do know B loved that boy. I loved my friend. I just feel like he gave up on all his friends and family – coward move. But I do believe he was tired and couldn’t take the pressure that life brings us.” (06:17)
    • Another friend expressed confusion and grief: “It just doesn’t make any sense at all. Things aren’t sitting right with me... Only God knows.” (07:42)

4. Remembering and Honoring Jordan Roberts (08:47 – 13:59)

• Funeral and Community Support:
  • Over $9,000 raised to cover funeral expenses.
  • Organizer Tanisha Taylor wrote: “Jordan was shot and killed by a psycho stepdad he thought loved him... His life was taken way too soon.” (10:11)
• Jordan’s Life and Personality:
  • Born June 4, 2008, with 6 siblings, he loved video games, basketball, and spending time with friends and family.
  • His mother, Miranda, and father, Gregory, recall his heart of gold and vibrant spirit:
    • “Jordan, he had a heart of gold. He enjoyed playing the Xbox and basketball. Those are the two things he loved the most.” (11:03)
    • “He just was just a local kid... you’re gonna love his spirit.” (11:43)
• Personal Anecdotes:
  • Jordan would avoid giving his mom school notes about his behavior by hiding them or throwing them away. (12:13)
• Legacy and Memorials:
  • A section of highway adopted in Jordan’s memory, cleaned by family every three months.
  • “J Day” held annually to celebrate his life, complete with food, games, tournaments, and music.
• Host’s Reflections:
  • Lane connects personally, relating as a parent to a child Jordan’s age.
    • “Kids Jordan’s age are just coming into their sense of self and independence. Some of them still believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. They have a million percent faith that their families will support and protect them at all costs.” (13:59)
  • Lane acknowledges that even loving, supportive environments can’t always shield children from sudden tragedy.

5. The Pain of Loss and the Importance of Remembrance (13:59 – End)

• No True Justice: Lane expresses the frustration and heartbreak for families who lose children in sudden, violent acts.
• Emphasis on Remembrance:
  • “Miranda’s commitment to keeping Jordan’s memory alive and celebrating his life is admirable.” (13:59)
  • Lane imagines Jordan, and other children from previous stories, free and joyful together somewhere.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Officer Response & Trauma:

  • “They never thought about their safety… they tried everything they could do to save that young child and something that they will remember the rest of their lives.” – Police Representative (03:31 & 03:49)

• Neighbor’s Devastation:

  • “Oh my goodness. I mean, it just tore at my heart... let him be able to save him.” – Tianka Sherd (04:29)
  • “I feel like I don’t have a friend to play basketball with.” – Cartier (04:49)

• Friend Remembers Brent:

  • “He just had a hard time dealing with them. I feel like we all helped him fight the demons in some way…” (06:17)

• On Jordan’s Legacy:

  • “Jordan, he had a heart of gold... Those are the two things he loved the most.” – Jordan’s Parent (11:03)
  • “The instant that you see him and interact with him, you’re gonna love him. You’re gonna love his spirit.” – Family Member/Friend (11:43)

• Host Lane’s Closing Reflection:

  • “They were full of promise, love and unlimited potential. My heart breaks for each and every one of them, as it does for every child whose story I have covered. Rest well Jordan. You are and always will be truly loved.” (end segment)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:31 – 02:58: Overview of the incident and police intervention
• 02:58 – 03:44: Police statements and internal investigation details
• 03:49 – 05:00: Community & neighbor reactions, memorial
• 06:17 – 08:17: Reflections from Brent’s friends; community’s complex grief
• 10:11 – 11:56: Remembrance and loving memories of Jordan by his family
• 12:19 – 13:59: Annual memorial events & host's reflections

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Tone and Style

The episode maintains a compassionate, somber, and reflective tone throughout, aligning with the podcast's commitment to honoring victims and giving voice to their stories. Lane’s narration is empathetic, emphasizing the irreplaceable loss suffered by Jordan’s family and the community, while also acknowledging the complexity of human struggles on all sides of the tragedy.

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Conclusion

This minisode movingly commemorates Jordan Roberts and the immense hole his absence left. Through heartfelt family accounts, community grief, and the enduring acts of remembrance, listeners are reminded of the fragility of childhood, the unexpected nature of tragedy, and our collective responsibility to cherish and protect children.

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Transcript

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[Narrator/Host Lane]

This formerly Patreon Exclusive Bonus Minisode was Originally released on March 2, 2022. This podcast contains descriptions of violence against children and adult language and is not suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion is adv.

[Community Members/Reporters]

Foreign.

[Narrator/Host Lane]

And welcome to Suffer the Little Children, the true crime podcast, giving voices back to the victims of child abuse and shining a harsh spotlight on the parents, guardians and caretakers who silence them. I'm your host Lane and this is Patreon Exclusive Bonus Minisode Number 11 Jordan Roberts Around 6pm on Friday, May 1, 2020, a woman named Miranda Alford burst into a police station in Little Rock, Arkans to notify authorities that her 11 year old son Jordan Roberts had been taken hostage in their home by her fiance, 32 year old Brent Martin, who also lived in the home. Police rushed to the scene, soon followed by a swarm of upwards of 40 SWAT team members. When the first officers on the scene arrived, they heard gunfire from inside the house. Upon entering the home, Officer Scott Detmer and Lt. Dana Jackson were confronted by the gunman and fired their weapons at him, killing him. In one of the bedrooms, police found Jordan suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. EMTs loaded the boy onto a stretcher and according to a witness, literally ran him to a waiting ambulance with one first responder providing chest compressions as they ran alongside the stretcher. Jordan was rushed to Arkansas Children's Hospital. Tragically, he did not survive his injuries and he was pronounced dead that evening, barely a month before he would have celebrated his 12th birthday. At a press conference on Saturday, May 2, Little Rock Police Chief Keith Humphrey.

[Community Members/Reporters]

Said the officers were attempting to gain communication and wait on our SWAT team. Gunshots were heard from inside the residence. We have now learned that those shots were being fired by the suspect. It's with great sadness that we announce that our victim, 11 year old Jordan Roberts, passed away from his injuries suffered at the hands of our suspect. So I want to ask that we keep Jordan's family in our thoughts and prayers.

[Narrator/Host Lane]

Chief Humphrey told gathered reporters that an internal investigation would be conducted on the use of deadly force during the incident. Although he said the veteran officers involved had no choice but to make a.

[Community Members/Reporters]

Split second decision with everything going on, their main focus was to save the life of this child. This was an imminent situation and it happened only in a matter of seconds. They never thought about their safety.

[Narrator/Host Lane]

After shooting the suspect, the officers rushed to perform CPR on Jordan.

[Family Member or Close Friend]

I'm telling you right now our officers are hurting. They tried everything they could do to save that young child and something that they will remember the rest of their lives.

[Narrator/Host Lane]

Both Officer Detmer and Lieutenant Jackson were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the internal investigation, which is routine for any shooting involving an officer. Neighbors and community members left flowers and stuffed animals outside the Caron Court house as a memorial to Jordan. Neighbor Brianna Allen said, it was a lot.

[Community Members/Reporters]

It happened so fast and it was so close.

[Narrator/Host Lane]

Tianka Sherd, whose family lives across the street from the home and who also overheard the shootings, spoke to a reporter about the incident.

[Neighbor]

My husband and I were sitting right there in the living room and we heard the first two shots. Oh my goodness. I mean, it just tore at my heart. My anxiety was just above the roof and I just was thinking, you know, let him be able to save him, let him be able to save him.

[Narrator/Host Lane]

Tianka's son, Cartier, was having a hard time coming to terms with Jordan's death.

[Neighbor]

It made me feel bad, bad and sad because he was my friend and now I don't have. Now I feel like I don't have a friend to play basketball with.

[Narrator/Host Lane]

According to neighbors Miranda, Jordan and Brent had only moved into the small house on the corner of Caron Court and Labet Drive within a couple of months prior to the incident. They said they had seen Jordan running around in the yard. Those with children close to Jordan's age took the news of his death particularly hard. Neighborhood resident Jessica Smith, who lived a block from the house, said, he's actually.

[Community Members/Reporters]

A little younger than my son, so it really kind of hit home. I cried.

[Narrator/Host Lane]

According to Brent Martin's Facebook page at the time, he and Miranda were engaged since December 25, 2017. Brent attended New Tyler Barber College from 2006 to 2007, and he made a living cutting hair in various places. In 2016, Brent Martin was charged with domestic battery against a different person and found guilty in 2018, according to the Democrat Gazette. He also had several drug charges in the past. In October of 2019, a domestic incident occurred involving Miranda and a no contact order was issued. That order expired on April 21, just days before Jordan was killed. Friends of Brent, also known as NBA the Barber, posted plenty of remembrances of him online as well. One friend Posted on May 3, as.

[Community Members/Reporters]

I'm writing this I got my sad music on. I just can't cry anymore because I know the truth. I've known Brent Martin and worked with him. I know over 11 plus years. Like another brother, he was a real sweet, caring, gentle and loving funny thug. And if you knew my friend, you knew Bea had a few demons, which we all do. Well I know I do. He just had a hard time dealing with them. I feel like we all helped him fight the demons in some way, Whether it was just listening to him rant and cry about it, whatever it was that was on his mind at the time or whatever. But as long as he could set up shop and cut hair and talk shit amongst us, he was the happiest person in the world. Oh yeah, you can't forget that damn cup. Bea gonna have that damn cup which was one of my best friend's demons. Alcohol. He had to have it. B done had so many close calls with death but he wanted better. My guy had stopped drinking, business jumping. Just had got a new big ass, clean ass truck, money good new house and him and his girl was expecting a new baby with his stepson. The tears are coming now because it's fucked up. Jordan didn't deserve it but I do know B loved that boy. I loved my friend. I just feel like he gave up on all his friends and family coward move. But I do believe he was tired and couldn't take the pressure that life brings us. If the shops was open this shit would never have happened because he would have been in the shop, shoes off, hair all over his socks, hair in face with that damn cup.

[Narrator/Host Lane]

Others who loved Brent tried to remind people that no one knows what really took place in the house that day.

[Community Members/Reporters]

One wrote I can't deal with this shit. I mean it's going to take a while for me to just come to. I haven't been the same since this happened. It just doesn't make any sense at all. Things aren't sitting right with me. I know you loved your son and stepson. I remember you having to go to the school to take or do something for Jordan while in the middle of cutting my hair. It was over an hour before you came back. You did what a father was supposed to do. I closed my eyes often trying to put myself in that house that day, trying to see what actually happened, trying to understand, trying to get some truth. But only God knows.

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[Narrator/Host Lane]

Brent D' Andrew Martin, whose friends also called him D, was born on July 6, 1987 in Lake Village, Arkansas and raised in nearby Hamburg, is survived by the infant son he shared with Miranda as well as his parents, two brothers and six sisters. A private graveside service was held for Brent on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at Johnson Memorial Cemetery in H.A. hamburg. A GoFundMe campaign was created to pay for funeral and memorial costs for Brent, with the leftover funds being set aside for his and Miranda's young son, who was born in early 2019. To date, the campaign received a total of $1,906. I can understand how his friends and family feel, but my sympathy for them stops at them. I can't bring myself to feel sympathy for the man who murdered a beloved little boy, even if the man was struggling with life's challenges in one way or another. We all struggle in our own way, some harder than others, but most of us don't cause the deaths of innocent children in the process. As for Jordan, I have nothing but sympathy for that special little boy whose family members are deeply grieving his loss to this day. They created a GoFundMe campaign to cover the cost of Jordan's funeral. As of this recording, the campaign received donations totaling over $9,000. In that, campaign organizer and family member Tanisha Taylor wrote, jordan was shot and.

[Community Members/Reporters]

Killed by a psycho stepdad he thought loved him. Jordan was a loving kid who loved to play video games and basketball and enjoyed his family and friends. His life was taken way too soon.

[Narrator/Host Lane]

Jordan Mackay Roberts was born on June 4, 2008 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas to mother Miranda Alford and father Gregory Roberts. He leaves behind six siblings. Two brothers and a sister live in Pine Bluff. One brother lives in Little Rock and he has sisters in North Carolina and Texas. At the time of his death, he was attending Western Hills Elementary School in Little Rock. Jordan's funeral was held on Saturday, May 9, 2020 at Powell Funeral Chapel in Kennett, Missouri. He was buried in Memorial Gardens Cemetery, also in Kennet. Jordan's parents spoke with FOX 16 two days after their son's death.

[Jordan's Parent (Miranda or Greg)]

It touches my heart to see so many people, like people that don't know Jordan and how it affects them just as much as it affects us. Jordan, he had a heart of gold. He enjoyed playing the Xbox and basketball. Those are the two things he loved the most.

[Family Member or Close Friend]

He loved spending time with his sisters. You know, he had friends, his little cousins that he, you know, was crazy about coming to see him. He just was just a local kid. You know, people that didn't even, you know, really too much knew him, but just knew that, you know, seeing Miranda, you know, had love for him.

[Jordan's Parent (Miranda or Greg)]

Taking him to the derby was a memory for me because I can actually see his face light up and knew he was actually excited about that.

[Family Member or Close Friend]

The instant that you see him and interact with him, you're gonna love him. You're gonna love his spirit. He's just that type of child. He just, you know, he just got that will about him, that love.

[Narrator/Host Lane]

Miranda and Greg want everyone to remember Jordan for the beautiful spirit he had and the person he truly was. Another fond memory of her firstborn son, which Miranda shared on Facebook, is that whenever a note was sent home from school about his behavior, he would go to great lengths not to give them to her.

[Community Members/Reporters]

He used to tear them up, hide them, leave them on the bus, throw them under the bus, stuff them in pillow cases.

[Narrator/Host Lane]

A section of highway was adopted in Jordan's memory, which his mom and others take time every three months to clean up and maintain. On June 5, 2021, Miranda held the first annual J Day, a celebration of Jordan's life in honor of what would have been his 13th birthday. The event, which took place at Willowby park in Kennett, featured music from DJ Chetta as well as free food, games, bounce houses, a basketball tournament and a video game challenge. Since I have a son only six months older than Jordan, this story hurt a little more than most when I first told it on the blog back in 2020. Kids Jordan's age are just coming into their sense of self and independence. Some of them still believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. They have a million percent faith that their families will support and protect them at all costs. I just hope Jordan did not have the time to experience the pain fear and betrayal that Brent Martin's horrific acts could have Unlike many of the children I talk about on the podcast and the blog, Jordan was not raised in a neglectful or abusive environment by parents or caretakers who could not and did not meet even his most basic needs. He was clearly a child who lived his entire life surrounded by loving and supportive family and friends, but even that couldn't insulate him from this single, catastrophically abusive event between a child who was chronically abused and finally murdered and a child who was raised in a nurturing home only to be slain without warning. To be honest, I don't know which scenario is more tragic. In this case, there can never be justice, and I can't imagine how frustrating that is for Jordan's family. Even so, Miranda's commitment to keeping Jordan's memory alive and celebrating his life is admirable. I want to believe that wherever he is, Jordan has made friends with other kids around his age that I've talked about on the podcast or the blog. Some that immediately come to mind are Eduardo Paso, Alex Hurley, Zachary Sabin, Nakota Kelly, and Logan Klein. I can picture the boys huddled around an Xbox, giggling or gathered on a basketball court shouting and making the random noises only boys that age seem to be capable of. They all deserved to enjoy the twilight of their childhoods and to see the sun rise on their teenage years. They were full of promise, love and unlimited potential. My heart breaks for each and every one of them, as it does for every child whose story I have covered. Rest well Jordan. You are and always will be truly loved. That's it for this Patreon Exclusive Bonus Minisode. Join me next time for another story.

[Podcast Host Lane]

If you like the show, please follow or subscribe to Suffer the Little Children on Apple podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, Spreaker, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast listening app. And please leave me a five star rating and a positive review on your favorite podcast platform. Visit the website at sufferthelittlechildrenpod.com you can support the show by visiting patreon.com stlcpod where you can become a patron for rewards ranging from a shout out by name on the show to exclusive gifts. You can also support the show at ko-fi.com stlcpod Follow the podcast on Facebook and Instagram at Suffer the Little Children Pod and on TikTok TLCpod. View photos Related to today's episode on Facebook. This podcast is researched, written, hosted, edited and produced by Lane. Intro Theme music is by Dreamnote Music and all music for the show is licensed from audiojungle.net for more information about preventing or reporting Child Abuse, visit childhelp.org or call your area's child abuse hotline or and remember, if you see something, say something.

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