The estranged husband of a store clerk shot to death in the small Greene County town of Lorado last week is among four people jailed after police concluded that the killing was not the result of a random robbery attempt, the sheriff said Thursday.
Authorities reported that they initially believed Stacy Keplinger, 36, of Paragould was trying to rob the Lorado Grocery store about 12 miles north of Jonesboro. She reportedly forced Stacy Quintana, 45, of Lorado and deliveryman Aaron Jenkins of Conway into Quintana's car parked beside the store. Quintana was later found shot inside the car.
During a Tuesday interview with police, Charles Quintana, 58, of Paragould told police that "he planned the murder of his wife," according to an affidavit filed Wednesday in Greene County District Court.
Sheriff David Carter said Thursday that authorities have now ruled out robbery as the motive in the Dec. 23 crime because Keplinger did not ask for money nor take any from the store cash register. However, Keplinger did take Stacy Quintana's purse and Jenkins' wallet, Carter said.
Charles Quintana helped plan the killing and supplied the 9mm handgun that police believe Keplinger used to shoot Stacy Quintana, Carter said.
She turned the gun on Jenkins, but it jammed and would not fire, Carter said. Keplinger slashed Jenkins across the neck with a knife, the sheriff said, but the wound did not require his hospitalization.
Charles Quintana, Darrell Swan, 53, and Keplinger remained in jail Thursday in Paragould on felony charges of capital murder, aggravated robbery, kidnapping and first-degree battery. Tracy Stone, 45, was jailed on a charge of hindering apprehension or prosecution, a felony, according to reports.
Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington said formal charges will be filed later. All four are to appear in Greene County Circuit Court on Jan. 26.
Ellington declined to discuss a motive in the case.
Carter said the Quintanas had been separated for a couple of years and that Charles Quintana and Stone were romantically involved. All of the defendants were living in Paragould, he added.
"I think Charles was letting it slip that he was about to get a large sum of" money if his wife died, the sheriff said. "He just kind of told conspirators that. As far as I know ... there was no money. He just told them that. ... He lied to them" and said he'd split the money to get them to help with the crime, Carter said.
Another police affidavit filed in court says Keplinger named Swan as the person who drove her to the grocery store. That same day, Swan confirmed for authorities that he had driven Keplinger "to the store to commit a robbery and was to pick her up" afterward but that he panicked when he saw sheriff's office vehicles at the scene and drove away, the affidavit says.
On Monday, the affidavit adds, Keplinger told police that she and two other people had "conspired in these crimes for approximately four days prior to the incident and named each suspect."
"She was then asked the motive for this crime and she stated that it was for monetary gain for the victim's husband," the affidavit said.
Another affidavit said Stone at first "denied any knowledge of the suspects committing any crime and stated she had no connection to any crime." But on Monday, she "recanted her previous statement" and said "she had prior knowledge approximately three to four days before" the crime was committed, according to the affidavit.
Stone "went on to state that she was present when both suspects conspired to commit the robbery then murder the victim," the affidavit said.
In Arkansas, capital murder is punishable by death or life in prison without parole.
State Desk on 01/01/2016