$25k reward offered in cold-case murder of University of West Georgia student

CARROLLTON, Ga. — A grieving family is hoping a reward will generate new leads in a cold case of a college student who was murdered in Carrollton.

In October of 2000, 22-year-old Toyal Jackson was reported missing. Witnesses report last seeing her being forced into a red Nissan pickup at the Walmart in Carrollton. Her dismembered body was found one month later at a city wastewater treatment plant.
 
On Thursday, Mayor Wayne Garner is set to announce, along with local and state officials, a $25,000 reward for any tips leading to an arrest in the case.
 
"I think we are going to find the person who did this, so if you're watching tonight, we are coming after you," Garner told Channel 2's Dave Huddleston in an interview.
 
Jackson was a senior at the University of West Georgia and had just gone on a shopping trip that night.
 
"The last time I saw her was Sunday the 29th of October, she had been up for the weekend," recalls her mother Emma Jackson.
 
Police found her body with stab wounds.
 
While the Jackson family is grateful for the reward, they say there have been many unanswered question regarding the initial investigation.
 
For example, all of the indoor cameras at the Walmart were not working the night of their daughter's alleged abduction. At the time, there were no parking lot cameras
 
"We questioned them about that, surely you have a tape and you could have seen her, see whether or not someone was stalking her as she exited the door," Jackson said.
 
Jackson said police also recently informed her that they believed Toyal was sexually assaulted prior to her death.
 
"Police told us at the time that she had not been sexually assaulted," Jackson said.
 
The family is hopeful the reward will generate new leads.
 
"Hopefully someone will come forward and say I've kept this in long enough, this is what happened," Jackson said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Carrollton police.

WSBTV