Marked Tree pair charged in slaying
MARKED TREE -- Poinsett County authorities charged a Marked Tree man and woman with first-degree murder in the Saturday death of a Tyronza man found beneath a burned vehicle on a St. Francis River levee.
Christopher Terrell, 48, and Betty Grant, 40, appeared before Poinsett County District Judge Ron Hunger in Harrisburg on Wednesday. Their next court appeaance is set for Jan. 27.
Both were being held in the Poinsett County jail in Harrisburg with bail set at $1 million for each defendant, Sheriff Larry Mills said in a news release.
Marked Tree firefighters and sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a truck fire at 6 p.m. Saturday on the levee north of Marked Tree. When they arrived, they found the partially burned body of James Hunt, 49, of Tyronza beneath the truck.
Hunt died from a gunshot wound, and his body had been run over by the truck that was set ablaze, Mills said in the news release.
Mills said he would not comment further on the case because it was still under investigation.
-- ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
3 charged in killing in Pulaski County
The Pulaski County sheriff's office arrested two Little Rock women Tuesday and a Little Rock man Wednesday, charging them all with capital murder in the Monday evening slaying of a northwest Pulaski County man.
Stacey Jones, 20, of 1702 S. Pierce St.; Ashley Williams, 17, of 2215 S. Harrison St.; and Keion Maxwell, 18, of 3524 Walker St., are all charged in the death of Karel Perez, 41, who deputies found lying dead on the living room floor of his residence at 2123 San Luis Blvd. in Little Rock around 6:30 p.m. Monday. Perez's wife called the sheriff's office. He had been shot in the head.
According to Jones' arrest report, "physical evidence was collected at the scene that identified Jones as a possible subject." After being read her rights, Jones admitted to being at the scene when Perez was killed, the report said. She also admitted to taking his cellphone and was in possession of the phone at the time of her arrest, the report states.
Williams' arrest report also says that physical evidence at the scene identified her as a suspect, and that, after being read her rights, she admitted to being present at the scene when Perez was killed.
Maxwell faces an additional misdemeanor carrying a weapon charge because he was arrested with a loaded .40-caliber handgun in his possession, according to his arrest report.
Sheriff's office spokesman Lt. Carl Minden said no further arrests were expected in the case.
Both Jones and Williams, who is being charged as an adult, were being held in the Pulaski County jail in lieu of $500,000 bonds Thursday night. No bond information was available on Maxwell on Wednesday night.
-- ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Stabbing fatality outside LR probed
A Pulaski County man was stabbed to death Nov. 26, the sheriff's office reported Tuesday night.
According to a sheriff's report, deputies responded to 12403 Enterprise Lane in southern Pulaski County at 7:12 a.m. Nov. 26 to a stabbing report. The deputies were met by a man who said he had just stabbed the victim, Danny Ray Wolaridge, 24.
Richard Hughes Collins, 39, of 3129 Juarez Drive in Pulaski County, was detained after deputies found Wolaridge lying on the living room floor of the residence with a single stab wound to his torso. Wolaridge died later that day at UAMS Medical Center.
Collins has not been arrested in the stabbing, and the case has been sent to the Pulaski County prosecutor's office for further investigation.
-- ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Helena pedestrian dies crossing road
A pedestrian was killed when she was struck by a vehicle Tuesday morning while crossing U.S. 49 in Phillips County, according to Arkansas State Police.
Linda Davis, 58, of Helena-West Helena, was hit about 6:20 a.m. while crossing the highway at West Russell Avenue in Helena-West Helena, state police said. The driver of the vehicle was not injured.
State police reported that the driver was unable to see Davis because of heavy fog and that the road was wet at the time.
-- ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Details out on pay for ex-Tulsa officer
TULSA -- Records show that a Tulsa police officer accused of killing his daughter's boyfriend retired from the force last month and collected a $162,000 pension in a lump-sum payment.
The Tulsa World reported Wednesday that while state law prevents officers convicted of felonies from collecting monthly payments, Shannon Kepler would be able to keep the lump-sum payment.
The newspaper reported that the head of the state Police Pension and Retirement Board said Kepler would have to forfeit any monthly pension benefits if convicted of a felony that didn't carry a deferred sentence.
Kepler is accused of killing Jeremey Lake last August as Lake walked with Kepler's daughter Lisa. His next court hearing is Dec. 18.
-- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tulsa girl stabbed brother, police say
TULSA -- Tulsa police said a 16-year-old girl has been arrested after stabbing her 14-year-old brother in the chest with a knife.
The Tulsa World reported Tuesday the girl was booked into the Tulsa County jail on a complaint of assault with a deadly weapon. Officer Jill Roberson said the boy was treated for the stab wound and is expected to survive.
Roberson said officers responded Monday to a report of domestic abuse. She said the girl stabbed her brother during an argument.
-- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NW News on 12/05/2014