BENTONVILLE -- Bentonville police are looking for 26-year-old Michael Eugene Conklin after his grandmother was found dead in her home Sunday, according to a news release.
Karen Heffner called police at 8:42 a.m. Sunday, concerned about a resident at 3300 S.W. Elm Manor Ave., according to the police incident log.
Nelma Darline Conklin, 76, the resident of the home, had not been to work for about a week. Police found her body while performing a welfare check, the release states.
Detectives learned Conklin's grandson, Michael Conklin, had been living at the home with her. His whereabouts are unknown, according to the release.
Nelma Conklin's silver 2013 Ford Focus also is missing. Its Arkansas license plate is 583 OCT. Police are looking for Michael Conklin and the missing vehicle, according to the release.
Nelma Conklin's body was sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for an autopsy since there is suspicious and unknown circumstances surrounding the death, the release states.
Bentonville police were at the Elm Manor scene for several hours Sunday.
James Bates, who lives at 3502 Elm Manor Ave., said he believes he first saw police at the house about 11 a.m. Sunday. Police tape was at first around the front of the house, but then hours later police taped off the whole road, Bates said.
Bates knew an elderly woman lived in the home with her grandson. Bates said he did not personally know either of the Conklins.
Bates said he would sometimes see the two outside doing yard work when he jogged in the evenings.
"It's a very quiet neighborhood, and it's unusual to see the police," Bates said. "I think there's been one break-in in the neighborhood in the last two years. It's just a quiet neighborhood."
Capt. Justin Thompson with the Bentonville Police Department would only say Sunday that police are investigating the death.
NW News on 07/22/2014