Police said Thursday an anonymous tip led to an arrest in a 6-year-old investigation int Nina Ingram’s death.

Investigators arrested Rico Tavarous Cohn, 26, of 1701 S. West End St. in Springdale on Wednesday in connection with capital murder.

Police arrested Cohn at a home in south Fayetteville, near Deane Street and Garland Avenue. Investigators haven’t divulged the exact location.

According to an arrest warrant, Cohn broke into 21-year-old Ingram’s Law Quad apartment, 701 W. Sycamore St., on April 21 or April 22 in 2006 and strangled her.

Investigators haven’t named any suspects in the case until now.

“Over the years, the case has remained opened,” Sgt. Craig Stout of the Fayetteville Police Department, said.

“Every year, we’ve had another detective go through and interview witnesses and look at the case with a fresh set of eyes. This year, the detective just started going through the case file when he received a tip about a potential suspect,” Stout said.

Stout said the tipster divulged “intimate knowledge about the crime” only the suspect or someone close to the suspect would know.

He said the detective notified John Threet, Washington County prosecutor.

“We were in constant contact with Threet during this time frame to keep him abreast of the case since he would be the one prosecuting it,” Stout said. “We want to make sure we’re meeting the criteria he needs to take it to trial.”

Stout said investigators wouldn’t release information surrounding Cohn’s involvement in Ingram’s death, including whether the two knew each other. “I don’t know if there is any evidence that links him to the crime or if he was ever a person of interest,” he said.

Threet said his office asked a judge to seal details in Cohn’s arrest warrant. That information is typically public in most cases.

“It happens if there is certain information that can’t be made public because it jeopardizes the investigation, witnesses or evidence. It will eventually be made public,” Threet said.

According to Cohn’s Facebook page, he graduated from Forrest City High School in 2004. He listed his most recent employer as Trim Plus Construction Works in Springdale.

Scott Conduff, owner of the company, said he was shocked to learn of Cohn’s arrest. He said Cohn worked for him “on and off” for a couple years as a general laborer.

“It blew me away,” he said. “It seems completely out of character. He’s just a nice guy. He’s the kind of person who would walk up to a stranger, shake their hand and ask how their day was going.”

Conduff described Cohn as a good employee. He was scheduled to work last week, but never showed, which was out of character, Conduff said.

“I spoke to him three days ago and he said he lost his phone in the woods,” Conduff said. “He said he still wanted to work.”

“For someone to tell me that Rico killed someone, that just doesn’t compute,” he said. “I would have to see the facts.”

Cohn was convicted in 2007 for possession of a controlled substance (cocaine). In 2009, he was convicted of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Cohn also was convicted in 2009 for delivery of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction with a five-year suspended sentence for the latter charge.

Ingram’s mother, Judy Ingram, declined comment Thursday. She indicated she would release a statement later, adding “I must have time to get my thoughts together.”

Ingram, who now lives in Dallas, learned of the developments in her daughter’s case from two Fayetteville officers who traveled to Texas to see her. Stout declined to name the officers.

“The officers spent several hours with the family,” he said. “Obviously, this is a special case in the fact that you’re talking about a six-year time frame. To be honest, this is the first time where we’ve had a homicide like this, besides the Goldie Thornsberry case.”

Thornsberry disappeared in 1996. Her body was discovered in a shallow Little Rock well in 2000. Raymond Douglas, 42, was accused of killing his mother-in-law in Fayetteville. Douglas was charged with first-degree murder, but was acquitted last year.

Nina Ingram was last seen just before midnight on April 21, 2006. Investigators believe she left her job at the Walmart Supercenter on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and spent time with her boyfriend before returning to her apartment.

Ingram’s brother found her body inside her apartment bedroom April 22. She promised to give him a ride that morning, but never showed, police said. He crawled through her window after knocking on her door.

Records indicate Ingram had scratch marks around her neck.

Autopsy results identified strangulation the cause of death. There were no signs of a sexual assault.

Police noted no forced entry had been made into Nina Ingram’s apartment.

Stout said detectives don’t believe anyone else was involved in the murder.

“We do still believe there are people out there who have knowledge about this and we want them to come forward,” he said.

A Texas native, Nina Ingram moved to Fayetteville with her mom and two brothers for her freshman year of high school, while her dad and other brother remained in Lillian, Texas. After graduating from Fayetteville High School in 2002, she attended NorthWest Arkansas Community College, where she was majoring in business. Ingram was employed by Walmart as a member of its loss prevention team.

Cohn was in the Washington County Detention Center without bond Thursday. His arraignment has been set for June 20.