Body of slain woman's son found in Arkansas woods

Polk County authorities discovered the body of 9-year-old Reilly Scarbrough in a wooded area west of Hatfield around noon Saturday.

The boy had been missing since last Sunday, authorities said. On Tuesday, the boy's mother, Bethany Jo Wester, 43, of Mena, was found dead in a creek southeast of Cove. Wester's 2-year-old daughter, Acelynn Wester, was found dead Friday near where her mother's body was found.

The siblings' great-uncle Steven Payne, 66, was found dead at his residence in Hatfield on Thursday.

Authorities have not released the cause of any of the victims' deaths but said they are being investigated as homicides.

Polk County Sheriff Scott Sawyer said Reilly was found with the assistance of Brian Travis, who is incarcerated at the Polk County jail on unrelated drug charges. Travis was arrested Wednesday.

Sawyer said in a news release that he "anticipates that capital murder charges will be filed" against Travis after a review by Prosecuting Attorney Andy Riner.

The sheriff's office said Travis is believed to have been Wester's boyfriend. He is not related to the children.

"I couldn't hardly talk about it with anybody without tearing up," said Mena Mayor George McKee.

"Here we don't have things like that, we just really don't. And that's why it's such a shock," McKee said. "You just never expect something like that out of your community. We live in a good community. It just blows our mind. It blows our mind and tears our heart out."

NW News on 04/30/2017

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