MOUNTAIN HOME -- A Baxter County circuit judge ordered the arrest affidavits of three people charged in the slayings of an elderly couple sealed during a brief hearing Tuesday.
Judge Gordon Webb said detectives' notes in their investigation into the homicides of Donald Rice, 75, and his wife, Ladonna Rice, 71, of Midway and affidavits that described items seized by police during the search of three defendants' homes would be sealed.
Baxter County Prosecuting Attorney David Ethredge said he and defense attorneys agreed to Webb's order.
"We wanted to protect justice," Ethredge said. "It's going to be difficult to find a jury pool without some bias. We do not want to do anything to taint potential jurors."
Baxter County deputies found the bodies of Donald and Ladonna Rice in the debris of their rural Baxter County home Nov. 10 after firefighters responded to a fire there Nov. 7.
Authorities found their burned truck Nov. 8 in a field on Baxter County Road 1, about 3 miles from the home.
Police arrested Nicholas Roos, 24, and Mikayla Mynk, 20, of Gassville and Zach Tyler Grayham, 23, of Mountain Home on two counts of capital murder, arson and aggravated robbery each. The three pleaded innocent to the charges. They are being held in the Baxter County jail in Mountain Home without bail.
Police said the three broke into the Rice's home on the morning of Nov. 7, killed the couple and then stole several items, including a large-screen television. They set fire to the home, destroying it, and then left in the Rices' truck, police said.
Ethredge said he will seek the death penalty.
The three are scheduled to be tried Sept. 19 in Baxter County Circuit Court.
State Desk on 02/10/2016