Photo: Change.org
A white Mississippi man accused of killing a 10-year-old Black boy in a hit-and-run walked free last week after a jury cleared him of all charges and spat at the victim's family before the verdict.
According to Atlanta Black Star, Cody Rollinson was found not guilty on Thursday (January 15) in the death of Jordan Hill, who was struck and killed by a pickup truck in Liberty, Mississippi, on April 6, 2025. Rollinson had been charged with aggravated DUI and felony fleeing without rendering aid.
A video circulating online shows Rollinson being escorted through the Amite County Courthouse parking lot before the verdict, when a woman calls out, “Anything to say to the family?” Rollinson responded by spitting in their direction.
“Justice for Jordan,” the woman yelled. “He spit on the family. There’s no remorse!”
Hill was riding an ATV in a grassy area along the side of the road, “out of the way of traffic," when he was struck by Rollinson’s truck, family spokesperson Marquell Bridges said. Hill died at the scene from his injuries.
Rollinson admitted leaving the scene but claimed he did so because he did not have cell service to call 911. He was later arrested and released on a $41,000 bond. After deliberating for about an hour, the jury acquitted him on both charges.
Wanda Brown, Hill's mother, said she was devastated by the verdict.
“Shocked. I was shocked because you have all this evidence — evidence, facts — and it still was found not guilty,” Brown told WLBT3. “I just felt that this justice system here just failed us.”
Family members and supporters have questioned the investigation and trial. A Change.org petition circulated by a family friend alleges there were no skid marks at the scene, suggesting Rollinson never slowed down. Bridges has described Hill's death as a “hate crime” and “not an accident.”
After the verdict, Hill’s family said some jurors had prior knowledge of the case and should have been disqualified.
“I still definitely want to get justice,” Hill's sister, Mariah Woodward, said. “So, I feel like we should still post him on platforms and just make him known so they won’t let this die down.”
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