FAYETTEVILLE — Neighbors and clients of Jessica Stewart, who died Monday after she was shot Sunday, described the 39-year-old hair stylist as friendly and free-spirited.
Fayetteville police Monday turned their attention to the east, possibly Philadelphia and surrounding communities, in their search for Eric Frankenhauser, 40. He is wanted in connection with the shooting that happened Sunday morning at 2228 W. Wedington Drive.
After Stewart’s death, police changed the charge pending against Frankenhauser to capital murder. He also faces a charge in connection with fi rst-degree battery.
Police spokesman Sgt. Craig Stout said Frankenhauser lived in Pennsylvania before he moved to Northwest Arkansas a few months ago. Stout said detectives have spoken with Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies to make them aware of Sunday’s homicide.
Stout said a nationwide bulletin was sent to all law enforcement agencies describing Frankenhauser, the vehicle he is suspected of driving and the charges he faces. Frankenhauser took Stewart’s white, 2005 Hyundai Elantra with Arkansas vehicle license 153RRA, he said.
Police found Stewart, 39, lying in the front yard of a Wedington Drive house after a neighbor reported a gunshot at 8:52 a.m. Sunday.
Stout said there appeared to be a romantic connection between Frankenhauser and Stewart, but he wouldn’t classify the pair as a couple.
Police have not recovered a gun, he said.
“That’s why we consider him armed and dangerous,” he said. “We must assume he has the weapon.”
Stewart last month opened a hair salon, Always Stylin’, at 2417 College Ave., having moved it from 79 W. Colt Square Drive.
Fayetteville resident Leigh Helm, a three-year client of Stewart, stopped by her new salon Monday afternoon.
“She was a decent person, hard-working and ran her own business,” Helm said. “She said she was dating a new guy but didn’t say a whole lot about him. She was more excited about getting her salon out here on College so that she can get more publicity.”
Lauren Vaught, her landlord at Colt Square, said Stewart was a “beautiful spirit.” Vaught declined to say anything more about Stewart.
Jack Cleghorn owns a marketing and advertising business next door to Stewart’s Colt Square location. He said Stewart operated there for two or three years before the recent move.
“She was in and out by appointments more than anything,” Cleghorn said. “Everything I knew about her was pretty nice.”
Stewart’s Facebook page showed a penchant for posting images that included slogans and quotes, some supporting guns for home and self-protection.
One image on July 23 is of Charlton Heston, the actor who became a gun-rights advocate, quoting him as saying, “There are no good guns. There are no bad guns. Any gun in the hands of a bad man is a bad thing. Any gun in the hands of a decent person is no threat to anybody — except bad people.”
On July 24, a post on her Facebook page shows an image of a man and woman walking arm-in-arm along a beach with the overlaid text “You. I want you.” An accompanying Facebook post stated, “You Eric Frankenhauser.”
A separate July 24 message thought to be from Frankenhauser stated, “I LOVE YOU JESSICA.”
The final post on the page, dated Saturday, was an image of Buddha with the message, “No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.”
Stewart is survived by two adult children, said LeeAnn Kopek, a former business neighbor on Colt Square Drive. Stout said Stewart’s mother is also alive.
“She just moved out of her apartment and into a new apartment. I know that,” Helm said. “She had just gotten a new boyfriend and a new place for a business. Things seemed to be going good for her.”