Woman held in slaying pleads innocent

Charge amended to first-degree murder in Nov. 17 shooting in Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS -- A woman has pleaded innocent to an amended charge of first-degree murder in the Nov. 17 fatal shooting of a Hot Springs man, according to court records.

Leslie Rita Jane Sinclair, 25, of Hot Springs was initially charged with second-degree murder in the death of Shane Roy Sowers, 43, of Hot Springs, but prosecutors amended the charge to first-degree murder during a hearing Friday in Garland County District Court.

Sinclair, appearing via video before Judge Joe Graham, entered her plea of innocent, and a review hearing to determine if the charge will be bound over to Garland County Circuit Court is set for Jan. 5. Sinclair had been held in lieu of $250,000 bond after her arrest late Wednesday on Interstate 55 in Mississippi County, but Graham increased the bond amount to $500,000.

Graham also granted a motion by the state to issue a gag order limiting pretrial publicity in the case.

Sinclair faces up to life in prison if found guilty of first-degree murder. Second-degree murder is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

According to the affidavit, Hot Springs police responded shortly after 5 p.m. to a report of a shooting Nov. 17 in the 600 block of Ouachita Avenue. Officers arrived to find a man, identified as Sowers, lying on the sidewalk with what appeared to be a gunshot wound in his back.

He was transported to a hospital where he died from his injuries.

Police viewed video surveillance from the Holiday Motel at 642 Ouachita Ave., that showed a woman, later identified as Sinclair, pull a handgun from her purse and follow behind Sowers as he was leaving the motel property, the affidavit states.

Sowers continued walking east on the sidewalk and was approaching the driveway of the Best Court Motel at 638 Ouachita Ave., next door to the Holiday Motel, when Sinclair fired a single shot, striking him in the back, the affidavit states. Sowers fell to the ground, and Sinclair ran back to her vehicle, a blue Chevrolet Malibu, that was parked at the Holiday Motel, according to the affidavit. She then sped away and was last seen headed west on Ouachita Avenue, the affidavit says.

Detectives recognized Sinclair in the video from previous "law enforcement interactions," and a warrant was issued Wednesday for her arrest.

Sinclair has no previous convictions, according to court records, but was arrested Oct. 12 on a misdemeanor count of theft of property under $1,000 involving CVS Pharmacy. She pleaded innocent to the charge Nov. 3 and is set for trial in district court on Dec. 10.

Sowers, a convicted felon, was being sought on a felony warrant for failure to appear at the time of the shooting. He was arrested Aug. 11 on a felony charge of breaking or entering and was free on $2,500 bond. He reportedly failed to appear for his arraignment in circuit court on Oct. 26, resulting in the warrant being issued.

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