An Arkansas man has been arrested on a first-degree murder charge in the slaying of a 27-year-old woman who was found dead late Saturday in her front yard.
Lafayette County authorities were called shortly after 11 p.m. to a residence in Lewisville.
A caller informed the 9-1-1 operator of a woman “stretched out in her front yard” and a black male seen walking away from her. The man was said to be shirtless and wearing jogging pants and a do-rag, according to a Lafayette County sheriff’s office statement.
The victim was identified as 27-year-old Crystal Burnell of Lewisville.
The suspect, later identified as Ardell Burnell, 39, of Lewisville, was arrested after Lewisville officer Ryan O’Neal came in contact with a man fitting the caller’s description. After further investigation, Burnell was arrested on the charge of first-degree murder and transported to the Lafayette County jail.
The death, Lafayette County authorities said, is now an ongoing investigation with the Arkansas State Police.
According to a report from KSLA of Shreveport, the suspect and the victim were husband and wife. Ardell’s social media account, however, states his relationship status as “divorced.” The Facebook page also stated that the suspect is from McNeil.