Children heartbroken after dad was found dead in Columbus apartment

A day after a Columbus father was killed in his Adair Avenue apartment, his loved ones are struggling to understand why someone would want to harm a man known for his kindness and generosity.

“What he could do for you, he would…,” said Gladys Boykin, Jason Boykin’s mother. “I’m just kind of numb, because you never expect to bury your children.”

Jason was known for more than his loving personality. His family said he excelled at basketball, football and track before leaving Carver High School in 2003 to attend Coffeyville Community College.

Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said it was Jason’s girlfriend who found him dead Tuesday night after arriving home from work.

“It was odd that I hadn’t talked to him all day,” said Anet Montgomery, who dated Jason for more than two years. “So when I got there and saw the stove was on, I guess I was kind of fussing.”

Montgomery said she saw him unconscious in their apartment moments later.

“At first I went to shake him, because I thought maybe he was asleep,” she said. “The person who you talk to on a daily basis being dead isn’t the first thing that pops into your head.”

When he didn’t respond, she called 911. Police arrived on the scene around 11:24 p.m. Tuesday to investigate.

Jessica Seldon said she was numb when she arrived on the scene of the shooting that killed the father of her three young children.

“My mom was there to comfort me, and I was just numb. The only thing I could think of was my children are going to be heartbroken,” Seldon said as she held her kids tight.

Seldon said it was difficult to share the devastating news with their children, whose ages range from 7 to 13.

“My children are disappointed,” Seldon said. “It’s not acceptable for them to be disappointed, especially for someone else to disappoint them.”

No one has been named as a suspect in Jason’s death. With no motive identified, his family is left with a lot of unanswered questions.

AC Douglas, the victim’s older brother, wants anyone who has information about the incident to report it to police.

“They know how to get to the bottom of it,” Douglas said. “We feel confident that they will. Just tell them anything that you think you might know, so we can bring this to justice.”

Anyone with information about Jason’s death is encouraged to call Columbus Police Sgt. Dan Lyon at 706-225-4422 or email him at dlyon@columbusga.org.

Donations to the Jason Boykin Benefit Memorial Fund can be made at any Wells Fargo bank. Contributions will be used to cover expenses for the burial ceremony. If an excessive amount of money is raised, it will be used to fund necessities for the children.

For additional information about how to donate, send an email to the jasonboykinmemorialfund@gmail.com.

This story was originally published April 13, 2017 at 8:11 PM with the headline "Children heartbroken after dad was found dead in Columbus apartment."