The Bentonville Police Department could name a suspect in the homicide of a 6-year-old Bentonville girl as early as tomorrow, Chief Jon Simpson told reporters Wednesday.
“I feel confident that we have the resources that we need, that we’ve taken the steps that we needed to take as quickly as possible,” Simpson said. “The answers to all of our questions are within reach.”
Jersey Bridgeman was reported missing from her home at 608 S.E. A St. at 6:43 a.m. Tuesday. Police found her body in a vacant home two doors south just 10 minutes later.
Her body was delivered to the Arkansas State Medical Examiner’s Office on Tuesday.
While the department has not made an arrest in the case, Simpson said there is no cause for public alarm. He said the department has a “very good handle” on the case and doesn’t consider there to be a public safety issue.
The department is still conducting interviews and examining leads with help from the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
Police officers took more than 50 items of evidence from the three residences they searched at 608 S.E. A St., 702 S.E. A St. and 704 S.E. A St.
Some of the items have been delivered to the Arkansas State Crime Lab.
“This investigation is currently ongoing and active and will continue without pause until its completion,” a news release stated.
At least one man who identified himself as an FBI agent was at the scene Wednesday. Simpson said at the news conference that the FBI had offered assistance in the case and Bentonville accepted.
Bridgeman's father and stepmother are serving prison sentences for chaining an unidentified five-year-old, referred to in court documents as JB, to a dresser.
Jersey was a kindergartner at Sugar Creek Elementary School, said Mary Ley, Bentonville School District communication director.
Superintendent Michael Poore said parents were not notified about the incident on Tuesday. Tuesday was the last day students attended school before Thanksgiving break. They will return on Monday.
Parents were not notified because Jersey’s name had yet to be released by the time school ended on Tuesday, Poore said.
Poore said district officials would meet Saturday to discuss how to help students on Monday.
Ley said how the district will respond to the incident will be determined as more facts about the case are released.
An email could be sent to parents of students who attend Sugar Creek Elementary School during the Thanksgiving break, Poore said.
Counselors was on-site Tuesday to help teachers and administrators.
“We grieve with that family and hopefully we will be there to provide support as they need it,” Poore said.
Poore said he has spoken with Jersey’s kindergarten teacher, principal and assistant principals.
“The thing about this girl was that she had a huge heart and seemed to be a kid that wanted to make people happy,” Poore said. “Always a smile.”
Police are continuing to investigate. They have not released a cause of death or other details of the investigation. The girl's body was sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for an autopsy.
704, 702 and 608 S.E. A St.
Jersey Bridgeman lived at 608 S.E. A St. Her body was found at 704 S.E. A St. The man accused of killing her lived at 702 S.E. A St.
View 704 SE A St in a larger map