Missouri murder suspect arraigned on Arkansas charges

 Paschall Paschall
Paschall Paschall

FAYETTEVILLE -- A Springdale man accused of killing two people in Missouri and kidnapping his 2-year-old daughter was arraigned Friday on charges in Washington County, where he is in jail.

Law enforcement officials in Barry County, Mo., say Christopher Lee Paschall shot and killed his ex-girlfriend, Casey Brace, and her grandfather, Herbert Townsend, and kidnapped his and Brace's 2-year-old daughter Jan. 5 near Washburn, Mo., about 20 miles northeast of Bentonville.

Legal Lingo

Extradition

The surrender of a person charged with a crime by one state or country to another state or country. Usually the Governor’s Office will make the request for extradition to the governor of the state in which the accused is present, claiming the right to prosecute. The defendant may “waive extradition” and allow himself to be returned to the state where charges are pending.

Source: uslegal.com

Paschall, 37, was arrested by Springdale police the next day at the home of a relative. The daughter was found safe and is in the custody of relatives.

Paschall pleaded not guilty Friday to unrelated charges of possession of a firearm by certain persons, possession of drug paraphernalia, theft by receiving and violating terms of a prior bond. He was given a trial date of May 1. His bond is set at $100,000, but Missouri officials have a hold on him in case he makes bond.

Missouri officials haven't yet started the extradition process, according to Denis Dean, Washington County deputy prosecutor.

Paschall faces up to 326 years in prison in Arkansas, Dean said. Arkansas prosecutors can, theoretically, dispose of their charges against Paschall faster than Missouri can. Missouri prosecutors haven't yet filed formal charges against Paschall.

In an unrelated case in September, Paschall claimed he was beaten and robbed by three men along Blue Springs Road, a rural stretch of highway northeast of Fayetteville, according to police records.

A deputy found Paschall along the side of the road with a fractured skull and other injuries, his car's windows smashed and tires slashed, according to a police report. After Paschall was taken to Washington Regional Medical Center, he told an investigator three men kidnapped him at gunpoint and told him to drive toward the south end of Beaver Lake before stealing his money and beating him with a bat, brass knuckles and a stun gun.

Two men have been arrested and face charges in connection with the incident.

Julio Salazar Gonzalez, a Fayetteville man with distinctive triangle-shaped facial tattoos above and below his eyes, was arrested in October in connection with kidnapping, first-degree battery and first-degree criminal mischief, all related to the Paschall incident.

He was released from the Washington County jail the next day, but was arrested again in December in connection with aggravated assault, possession of drug paraphernalia, theft by receiving and fleeing. Gonzalez, 36, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Trial is set for Feb. 24.

Timothy Ford, 35, of Witter faces charges of kidnapping, first-degree battery and first-degree criminal mischief in connection with the incident. Ford was arrested in early January. Ford is free on $25,000 bond. Trail is set for April 3.

Though Paschall said three men attacked him, a third suspect was never determined by police.

Paschall claimed Gonzalez was angry with him for telling police about a stereo Gonzalez stole.

NW News on 02/07/2015

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