JONESBORO -- Police arrested a third man Tuesday in connection with the robbery and abduction of a Jonesboro store employee, authorities said.
Rodney Andra Watkins, 21, of West Memphis was charged with aggravated kidnapping and robbery in Craighead County District Court. Watkins is being held in the Craighead County jail in Jonesboro in lieu of a $500,000 bond, said Paul Homes, a spokesman for the Jonesboro Police Department.
Two men were arrested on Nov. 22. Dawaun Christopher Logan, 20, of Earle was charged with aggravated robbery and Byron Dewayne Ford, 24, of Lepanto was charged with kidnapping.
Police said Logan robbed Loretta "Lori" Pixler, 45, of Jonesboro, an assistant store manager at the Jonesboro Dollar Tree store, as she was leaving the store the evening of Sept. 25. Police later found Pixler dead on Interstate 555 in Poinsett County, about 30 miles from Jonesboro.
Police said Logan forced Pixler into her car and made her drive away. Ford and Watkins followed in a second car, according to Watkins' arrest affidavit filed in Craighead County District Court.
Watkins told police when he was arrested that he called Logan on his cellphone and told Logan how to drive out of Jonesboro. Later, police said, Logan drove Pixler's car into a ditch and Watkins picked Logan up on Arkansas 14.
Watkins told police that Pixler was released after Logan left her car in the ditch and she was "unharmed."
A motorist later called state police after discovering Pixler's body on Interstate 555 near Payneway. Her car was about 5 miles from where her body was found, authorities said.
Authorities have not charged the three men with killing Pixler, Homes said.
State Desk on 12/09/2016